Escape The Day
by destiny's sweet melody
Summary: Marinette figured she had a nightmare about being murdered on her way to Adrien's birthday party because she was nervous about confessing. She doesn't quite believe it could be anything but a creepily accurate dream until she's murdered again. When she wakes up in time to live the same day a third time, she's pretty sure something akuma-related is going on.
1. We're Gonna Party Like It's

**Disclaimer:** I don't own _Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Chat Noir_ or _Happy Death Day_ or anything else recognizable contained herein.

 **A/N:** I finally got around to watching _Happy Death Day_ , which is weird because since they announced it, it seemed like exactly the kind of thing I'd be into, and I was right! I loved it! And I just loved the whole concept of it and one day, this just swept into my head and refused to let go.

If you've watched _Happy Death Day_ , then you know the characters/plot don't really fit. If you haven't watched it, then don't worry because I've changed almost everything other than the Groundhog Day Loop (and a few of the deaths). I even changed the reason why the MC is being murdered, and actually gave a reason _why_ there's a loop.

 **Warnings:** Violence, blood, (very brief) gore, Major Character Death (but temporary, but also multiple times). I add chapter specific warnings at the start of each chapter.

I rated it T because I'm not much for gratuitous violence, and I'm pretty sure the most violent/graphic death is in this chapter. **But if you think I should bump it up to M, TELL ME!** As much as I enjoyed writing this, I want people to actually enjoy reading it, so if you think a T is not enough warning, I give you permission to yell at me!

Contains the Love Square (all sides, but mostly Adrienette/MariChat), and DJWifi.

 **Summary:** Marinette figured she had a nightmare about being murdered on her way to Adrien's birthday party because she was nervous about confessing. She doesn't quite believe it could be anything but a creepily accurate dream until she's murdered again. When she wakes up in time to live the same day a third time, she's pretty sure something akuma-related is going on.

* * *

 **Escape The Day**

 **Ch. 1: We're Gonna Party Like It's Your Birthday**

"Today's the big day, Marinette!"

Tikki's cheerful voice and the shrill beeping of the alarm pierced through the veil of sleep and directly to the center of Marinette's forehead. The sixteen year old groaned mournfully, her arm reaching blindly to shut off the alarm. Wearily blinking one eye open, the digital clock revealed that there was still more than an hour and a half before school started.

 _Why?_ Why was she awake so early? She usually only gave herself half an hour to get ready for school, showering at night so she could simply slip on whatever was closest or - on special occasions - what she had set aside the night before.

Tikki gently tugged on a strand of Marinette's hair, her annoyingly cheerful, _I'm totally a morning person_ voice declaring, "Get up, lazybones! Remember everything you have planned!"

 _Planned?_ Marinette blinked sleepily. Rubbing the palm of her hand against her forehead where the beginning of a wicked migraine was gestating, she tried to recall what the kwami was talking about. Her eyes wandered around her room. To her chaise lounge where an outfit had been prepared; black tights and a sky blue A-line blouse, a pair of brown mid-calf boots placed beside the seat. Then to her desk, where sitting patiently beside her computer was a rectangular box wrapped in colorful birthday-themed foil. She stared confusedly at the package for a moment, and then -

"It's Adrien's birthday!"

She shot out of bed, pain in her forehead temporarily forgotten. Stumbling over her feet but somehow managing to avoid tripping down the stairs, she frowned at Tikki's bemused smile, "I forgot! How could I forget?"

She'd had to work overtime last night to get his present ready and everything! Which explained the killer headache. She probably only got around three hours of sleep in between an akuma attack in the evening, doing her chores, cramming her homework for Madame Delacroix's literature class in there somewhere, finishing off Adrien's jacket, and _then_ spending another forty minutes choosing an outfit for the school day and another for the party that night. And she wasn't blessed with the god-given gift of falling asleep the instant her head hit the pillow. No, she had to toss and turn and discuss the secrets of the universe with her own subconscious before being allowed some rest.

Marinette was exhausted.

And she still had to go downstairs and make a cupcake. _Ugh_ , the things she did for love!

"Don't forget what you promised as well!" Tikki hummed quite calmly for someone that was more or less threatening her chosen with death.

"Of course not," Marinette flushed vibrantly. She blamed the lack of sleep and Alya's endless stream of texts telling her that tonight was the _perfect_ time to finally, _finally_ confess her feelings in a direct and absolutely understandable manner that Adrien couldn't just brush off.

Marinette agreed, of course, but knew herself well enough to know that she would somehow find a way to mess it up and make him think she meant she cared for him as a friend. Seriously, last year, while running on seven cups of coffee and an energy drink, she had literally shouted 'I love you' at him and he had smiled and responded 'I love you as a friend as well.' And after Alya had stopped her from jumping off the roof of their school, she had locked herself in the bathroom and cried for twenty minutes before promptly crashing into a deep sleep.

She didn't drink energy drinks anymore.

As usual, Marinette had ended up venting her frustrations to the kwami, and Tikki had started talking about ancient rites and pacts and how maybe she could do it with a little divine incentive. Before she could even finish explaining it, Marinette's half-asleep brain decided that repeating some apparently magical and binding words was an excellent idea. It wasn't until _after_ that Tikki decided to mention that breaking a promise sworn upon a kwami would bring doom upon the betrayer.

Marinette wasn't exactly keen on dying, so she would do her best to keep her promise.

At the very least, it meant she was going to do it. No amount of mortification or fear of rejection was going to overpower her desire to not die!

She really needed to come up with a better sleep schedule. Or go back to energy drinks. "Anyway, cupcake!"

She left the kwami behind as she ran down to the bakery. Her parents were up already, of course, working in the kitchen and getting the storefront ready for the day. Marinette took a moment to watch them silently. She had always been impressed by the way they seemed to almost dance around each other as they worked. They knew exactly where the other was at any given time, without even looking up, never bumping into each other or stumbling over their own feet.

Sometimes, she wondered where all that grace had gone when she was born. Then she remembered it all seemed to be reserved for when she was wearing a mask.

"Good morning, Maman, Papa!"

"Good morning, sweetie," her papa smiled kindly.

Her maman, on the other hand, grinned impishly, "You're up early. Is there a special occasion?"

Red invaded her cheeks again and she frowned, doing her best to seem serious, but well aware that she looked like a chubby-cheeked toddler when she frowned, "We already discussed this last night. I'm making a cupcake for Adrien's birthday."

"Oh right, I almost forgot," Sabine gasped in the most unconvincing manner imaginable. "You could use that oven right over there. Your papa's making cupcakes, just sneak one in there."

Marinette did her best to endure her parents' playful smiles and not so silent mutterings as she waited for the cupcake to be done, but by the end of it, the tips of her ears were scarlet and she felt a little lightheaded. She packed the finished product in a white box and ran upstairs to change into her day outfit.

She took a few extra minutes to neatly braid her hair, instead of just haphazardly tying it back like she usually did. At the start of lycée, Chloé had mocked her for still wearing pigtails like a little girl, and it's not like she _cared_ about anything Chloé said. . . but she was kind of right. If she wanted to be taken seriously as a young adult, then she had to look the part! Ladybug still wore pigtails because, one, superheroes were supposed to be a little eccentric, and, two, _brand consistency_. But Marinette now cycled between ponytails, messy buns, and leaving her hair down, depending on her mood and how much time she had to get ready.

Of course, taking her time meant she was late for school despite waking up so early. She'd had to run out of the bakery in a rush, and only shouted her farewells to her parents as her mother answered the phone, with a "Good morning, Nadja!"

Alya only smiled at her as she ran up towards the school.

"Fashionably late as always," the redhead teased.

"I tried my best, but I'm hopeless," Marinette sighed tiredly, quickly falling into step beside her best friend.

A sharp _shink_ sound made her jump in place, and her eyes quickly zeroed in on the groundskeeper trimming the bushes with a large pair of shears. She grimaced. She'd always had a thing against gardening shears. Why did anybody need something so sharp, and large, and _sharp_?

Alya didn't seem to notice her discomfort, "Nice outfit, by the way."

"Blue's his favorite color," she mumbled despite herself. Well, Alya already knew that fact, anyway. And she would have known why she chose that particular top.

A familiar low humming brought Marinette to a stop. She held out an arm to halt Alya in her path as one of the more well known students breezed by. Hoverboard Kid, as he was known to the school, was an oddity. No one had ever seen his feet touch the ground as he preferred to glide around on one of those vertical, two-wheeled 'hover boards.' No one had ever heard his voice either, though as far as anyone could tell he was neither mute nor deaf. How he got away with any of this in a _school_ was the topic of many legends.

"Good morning," Marinette called cheerfully. And then, with the most deadpan face ever, Hoverboard Kid raised a fist in greeting.

"Oh my," she blindly slapped at Alya's shoulder.

" _Ow!_ "

"Alya, did you see that? Hoverboard Kid greeted me!"

"Congratulations, when's the wedding?"

Marinette stuck her tongue out at the blogger and continued her march towards the class, "You're just jealous!"

"Oh, for sure," Alya snorted. "Whatever will I do without Hoverboard Kid's love?"

They burst into laughter as they walked into the classroom. "You guys sure are cheerful today," Adrien called bemusedly.

Marinette immediately stopped laughing, a blush blooming on her face, but Alya only smirked, "Marinette's just pleased she added another victim to her long list of admirers."

"Alya," she hissed. There was no list!

"Oh, that - that's nice," Adrien smiled uncertainly, as if he didn't quite know how to react. Or like he didn't really believe in the list either.

 _Of course, he doesn't!_ He'd known her for three years and in all that time she'd never had so much as a single date. She certainly wasn't beating men off with a stick.

Desperate to distract him from her lack of love life, she walked up to him and all but shoved the box in his face, "Happy birthday!"

"Oh, thank you," he smiled so sincerely she felt her stomach flip.

"It was my pleasure," she had gotten better at speaking with him. Not for, like, long periods of time. But better. She liked to think she could have entire conversations with him now before she inevitably made a fool of herself. Tikki pressed against her hip through the purse and she was reminded of her oath.

It probably wasn't as grand as anything Alya was imagining, but right now was a good a time as any to confess, wasn't it? 'It was my pleasure because I love you and I'd do anything for you.' That wasn't too bad, right? Well, it was kind of bad but it would have to do because divine oaths and whatnot.

Marinette opened her mouth, but Chloé's voice sounded out, "You know he has a diet, right?"

Adrien pouted and made of point of looking his oldest friend in the eye as he took a bite out of the cupcake.

"Exactly," Nino waved her away as he walked in. "That's why it's our civic duty to make sure he gets all the sweets he possibly can."

"You got that right," Alya leaned over to give him a peck on the cheek. Then she threw an arm around Marinette's shoulders. "Isn't it great you're friends with a baker's daughter?"

'I'd give you all the sweets you want because I love you!' No, that wasn't right either. She'd give him sweets because they're friends even if she didn't love him. She would just confuse him again if she said that.

As always, Adrien didn't register her awkwardness, "Of course, I can't imagine my life without Marinette in it."

Marinette choked on her tongue.

Oh, she was going to _die_ tonight!

* * *

About ten minutes before lunch break, three things happened in quick succession. The first was a loud banging noise followed by a car alarm and a very angry man screaming, "Can't you watch where you're going, you nutsack!" Causing the class to burst into an immature bout of laughter despite the teacher's stern, disapproving gaze.

Alya quickly texted Nathanaёl for information, since he sat by the window, and he promptly informed her a bicyclist had slammed into the side of a parked car that seemed pretty expensive.

Mere moments after they'd managed to calm down, a rolling blackout swept through the 21st Arrondissement. It lasted only about thirty seconds, but it served to distract the class further, much to Madame Delacroix's displeasure.

Then, right after that, Adrien's cell phone went off. He blushed and quickly silenced it, apologizing for it all the while. The teacher let it go because she seemed to have a soft spot for him, and only for him. It wasn't until lunch that he listened to the message from Nathalie informing him that his father needed him in the office for some kind of emergency meeting.

"What, no way!" Nino cried. "He promised to give you the day off!"

"Well, yeah, but it's an emergency," Adrien defended.

"What kind of an emergency do you need a model for?" Alya huffed.

"The modeling kind?"

"Will you be able to make it to your party?" Marinette asked quietly. Because if he couldn't she was screwed. She would have to confess right then and there. She'd have to just shout, 'I love you! Like love-love. Not friend love. Please understand because if you don't I'm going to die because I swore I'd confess my undying love on my kwami and if I break that promise I'll be struck by lightning or something. Also, I guess I have to admit I'm Ladybug because I just said I have a kwami and Alya and Nino totally know what that is!'

No, that wouldn't do either.

"Of course," he rubbed the back of his neck. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

Oh good, that gave her some time.

"Geez, and we were going to take you to my mom to get your first beer during lunch," Alya pouted.

* * *

There was an akuma attack during lunch, because of course there was. Luminescence had apparently tripped over herself during the blackout and broken an important project that was due that afternoon and was now going around blinding people with her extra bright lights in revenge.

Fortunately, Marinette had been on her way back from the bakery after helping her parents put the finishing touches on Adrien's birthday cake and was alone. So she didn't have to come up with some convoluted lie as to why she had to leave immediately in the direction of the akuma.

Fortunately, her lycée was as much a hotbed for akuma activity as her collége had been and she didn't have to go very far after making quick work of the relatively weak akuma.

Unfortunately, the akuma was so weak that Chat Noir hadn't even needed to use Cataclysm. Which meant he was free to goof around on campus after the fight was over. And somehow, in a crowd of literally hundreds, he managed to find her.

"Well, hello there, Princess! You're looking so purr-fectly lovely today."

Marinette rolled her eyes and pointedly ignored the red on her cheeks. Alya grinned toothily, not even bothering to hide the fact that she was recording the exchange. "Hey, Chat Noir. Don't you have some mice to chase or something?"

He didn't seem to mind her brusque tone at all, if his smile was any indication. Marinette wondered idly if he had some sort of rejection kink, "Why would I search for mice when I have such a beautiful prize right here?"

"Prize?" Marinette squawked indignantly only to choke on her tongue for the second time that day when he took her hand and kissed the back of it. He kept his lips against her skin, his eyes looking directly into hers, and she was pretty sure she was red from the top of her head to her toes.

Alya was cackling in the background.

"You're never going to get a girlfriend if your idea of flirting is calling women _prizes_ ," she yanked her hand from his grip, clutching it to her chest.

"Precious gift from above, then?" he raised a brow curiously.

 _Of course_ he was just practicing on her! There was absolutely no reason for her stupid heart to speed up like she was running a marathon. "Those are babies," she growled.

"Oh. . . well then, treasure? Jewel? Gem? Huh, those _are_ all things with monetary value, aren't they?"

When did she become Chat Noir's wingman? The bell rang and saved her from having to answer, or hit him. Whichever.

"I have to get to class," she balanced her weight on her heels, the hand he kissed still tingling. She placed it under her chin, "And, um, princess is nice."

He grinned brightly enough to give Luminescence a run for her money, "Till next time, Princess!"

Despite being the one to insist she had to go, she waited until he had hopped out of eyesight. And then a little longer.

"Hey, Princess," Alya whispered in her ear, causing her to give a little hop in fright. "Why are you kissing the hand Chat Noir kissed?"

Marinette went cross-eyed as she realized she was holding the back of her hand against her lips. "I am not!"

She jogged towards the classroom, Alya laughing as she caught up with her. "Is this why you haven't confessed to Adrien? Do you not want to anymore?"

"Of course, I do! I will! Tonight at the party."

"Good, because Nino and I have a bet going on, and I'm still betting on you."

They artfully dodged Chloé and Sabrina facing off with Tessie and Fleur. All four of them turned to glare at the pair as a unit. _Creepy_.

"Well, you're winning your bet tonight," Marinette announced confidently. _My life depends on it._

* * *

"Is it too blue?" Marinette asked for the twentieth time.

"Marinette," Tikki giggled. "It's lovely! And it brings out your eyes."

Well, yes, it _did_. The off the shoulder, cocktail dress wasn't anything special. The v-neck ended tastefully, and the hem touched her knees. She certainly wasn't trying to throw herself at him, but. . . "Is it too simple?"

"You're going to be late! Don't forget your promise."

 _Right._ Confess or die. That was. . . great.

Sending a quick _on my way_ text to Alya, she grabbed her purse and Adrien's gift and made her way to the Grand Hotel Paris. It was already dark and she was sure she would be the last one there, but there were still four hours left in the day, and she should have enough time to build up the nerve to confess.

But, _maybe_ , she should put a little more effort into it? "Do you think he'd like flowers?" she stopped in front of a flower shop. It was probably about to close, and Marinette didn't want to be _that_ customer, but desperate measures and all.

Tikki poked her head out, "Everybody likes flowers."

True. And Adrien didn't suffer from so much toxic masculinity that he'd reject her just because she tried to woo him with flowers. He could reject her for loads of other reasons, but not flowers.

"Good eve-" the words stuck in her throat as she came face to face with a large pair of gardening shears. The sharp _shink_ sound slicing through the air just before the drooping heads of a pair of dahlias were struck off their stems.

The florist giggled, "Scared of the shears? I get that a lot."

"A fear of gardening shears is a perfectly reasonable fear," Marinette defended, face hot.

"So I've been told. How can I help you, sweetie?"

Oh right, flowers. Adrien. Confession. Should she go with roses? No, they were kind of cliché, and she kind of associated them with Chat Noir so that wouldn't do. Tulips? Daisies? What were the flowers you gave when you wanted to declare your love to someone?

"Um, I'm just looking," she took a step blindly and almost immediately tripped over her own feet. She reached out to steady herself only to grab onto a glass display case which quickly joined her on the ground, shattering into a million pieces. Some expensive looking orchids were scattered amongst the glass and water soaking the ground. "I can - I can pay for that."

"Just. . . get out," the florist managed through gritted teeth, barely keeping a handle on her anger.

"I - please don't turn into an akuma!"

Why did she say that? Tears pricking her eyes, she jumped to her feet and ran out of the store, almost immediately colliding with another young woman, sending her to the ground, a collection of papers flying in all directions. "I'm sorry!" Marinette cried as she continued on her way.

She ran until she couldn't because the street was closed due to construction. How hadn't she noticed that before? Why did nobody warn her?

"Great! No flowers, the gift's crumpled, and now I'm going to be late!"

If she went around, she'd be adding another half hour to her route, but - her eyes roamed the street - the only other option was going down a creepy alley. Dangerous construction zone, creepy alley, or half an hour more? She chanced a look at her phone. It was already past eight. If she waited longer, she really might choke when the moment came because she didn't have enough time to psyche herself up!

"Tikki -"

"No."

Right, she was done helping Marinette with her Adrien schemes. _Creepy alley it is then_. At least there was no danger of anything falling on her there.

Marinette had taken all of ten steps before she realized she had made a mistake. She walked slowly, the hairs on the back of her neck standing at attention, the feeling of being watched ever present. And then the music started. She wasn't an expert on classical music, but she was sure anyone could recognize the _Für Elise_. It was common in TV serials and music classes and music boxes. . . like the one sitting in the middle of the alley right in front of her.

"Hello?" That was weird. Who would leave a music box in the middle of an alley? Playing. They couldn't have gotten far, could they?

She kneeled as she recognized it, taking it delicately in hand. She'd had one just like it, except hers had been pink and gold while this one was black and purple, the cylindrical bottom layered with reflective keys. But the little ballerina on the top, one leg sticking back and her arms raised as if preparing to take flight, had even lost her head just like this one. She cleared her throat uncomfortably, something about the similarities unsettling her, and she placed it back on the floor.

Rising to her full height, she screamed when the silence was pierced by her phone ringing. She was going through a K-Pop phase and the Bangtan Boys yelling 'Fire!' at the top of their lungs when she couldn't so much as hear a car going by was not the best. She was even more surprised when she saw the name on the caller ID.

"Adrien?" she asked, half-convinced it would be Alya on the other end.

"Hey, Marinette!" Nope, that was Adrien. "I was just wondering where you were. I thought you'd be at the party before I got here."

Marinette pouted. It obviously wasn't a surprise party, but it would have been nice to be there when he saw everything for the first time and his eyes lit up. "Oh, I'm on my way. The route I was taking is closed so I had to go down this creepy alley."

"Do you want me to send my driver to pick you up?" he offered automatically and she melted a little.

"No, it's fine. I'm more than halfway through and I should be there in maybe three - _ahh!_ "

Marinette screamed as she felt herself be tugged backwards by the back of her dress. She tripped and fell onto her backside, her back colliding against a pair of strong legs. Tilting her head back, her heart leapt to her throat as she saw a tall figure, completely covered in black cloth from head to toe, something like an executioner's hood covering their face completely.

"Marinette! What's wrong?" Her hand spasmed around her phone at the sound of Adrien's voice, but she was frozen.

This was _wrong_. She'd faced akumas before. She shouldn't be so scared, but. . .

A sharp _shink_ sound sliced through the air as they reached behind themselves with the hand that wasn't still holding onto her dress. They raised a wickedly sharp blade the size of her arm and suddenly her legs started working. She kicked and twisted but couldn't so much as throw off their grip.

"No, wait, I - " she could transform! No. If it was an akuma, and it was almost definitely an akuma, then Hawk Moth would see through their eyes and know who Ladybug was. But. . . she was close enough to the hotel, wasn't she? Somebody could offer a distraction, at least, so she could escape and transform. She just needed a moment more! "Adrien! Help me!"

She could hear Adrien shout her name, but whatever else he said was lost in the rush of blood in her ears as the akuma held the blade centimeters from her left eye.

"Didn't you like my gift?" Its voice was distorted. She couldn't tell if they were male or female, young or old. She didn't understand what they meant.

"Marinette!" Adrien's voice was much clearer. Not through the phone. He was close. Just a moment more. She could get through this.

Then the akuma lifted the blade and plunged it back down. She didn't even have the time to scream.

* * *

"Today's the big day, Marinette!"

There was a pain in the center of her forehead, and Tikki's overly cheerful voice playing backup to the alarm wasn't helping. _Wait_.

"Today?" Her eyes roamed across her room, to the outfit on the chaise and the gift on the desk. _Wait._

"Today is Adrien's birthday," she said slowly, somehow confused.

"Yep! Don't tell me you forgot!"

"I. . ." There was something wrong here.

* * *

Hoverboard Kid raised a fist in greeting and Alya made fun of how shocked she was by it. "Marinette got hit on by the school's most exclusive bachelor," she winked at Adrien when he asked why the designer was so pale.

"Oh, that - that's nice," he smiled uncertainly. Marinette got some serious déjà vu, but she managed to give him the cupcake. And get through Chloé's commentary. And not faint when Adrien said he couldn't imagine a world without her in it. She would have enjoyed it more were it not for the fact that she was almost sure he'd already said that once.

The unsettled feeling continued throughout the day, which could be explained by school being mundane and repetitive by nature. Until shortly before the lunch break. Then the class burst into laughter at the reaction of a man whose car got hit by a bike. Then the lights went out. And then Adrien's phone went off in the middle of class.

"I need to be excused!" Marinette ran out of the room before Madame Delacroix could respond and locked herself in a bathroom stall.

"Marinette, are you okay?" Tikki asked, concern coloring her voice.

"No," she admitted, holding her head in her hands. "I think - I think I died, Tikki."

The kwami cocked her head, "What do you mean?"

"I dreamed - I dreamed it. This. Everything's that happened. And then, later, later I was walking down - and I - I -"

Sobs bubbled up her throat, and she placed a hand over her mouth as if to trap them. Tikki placed a gentle hand against her cheek, "Are you sure it wasn't just a dream?"

"I don't know! It was just so real. I _felt_ it! I felt the blade go right through my skull, but I - I'm not psychic! Is it a Ladybug thing?"

"It never has been, but, visions are powerful things. If one has been sent to you, then it must be for a reason. It means the universe wants you to survive. You know what got you killed, you just need to do something different. For example, in your dream, did you break down in tears in the bathroom?"

"I, well, no."

"Then you're already changing things!" Tikki cheered. "Don't worry, Marinette, nothing bad is going to happen."

"I guess," she could almost believe that. And then Luminescence attacked.

* * *

"You okay there, Princess?"

She didn't have the energy to even roll her eyes, "No, I'm not feeling well right now."

His gloved hand landing on her cheek startled her, "Sick not feeling well, or emotional not feeling well?"

"Emotional," she admitted. Though her heart was currently doing all sorts of things that made her feel more energized suddenly.

"Would a quick bit of sightseeing cheer you up?"

"No," she reached to move his hand, giving it a quick squeeze so that he didn't feel entirely rejected. "I have to get to class."

He smiled sadly, "Well, if you change your mind, you know how to contact me. Till next time, Princess."

She stood there for a moment more. Until Alya yelled in her ear, "What the hell was that?"

"What?" she stared confusedly at her best friend. Well, at least this was different.

Alya waved her arms wildly, "All that - that intimacy! And, wait, do you have Chat Noir's number?"

Marinette had the decency to blush, "I told you that we're friends!"

"I thought you meant casual acquaintances, not all that _tell me what I can do to make you feel better, Princess,_ " Alya dropped her voice an octave in the worst Chat Noir impression in history and reached for Marinette's cheek. It didn't have quite the same effect.

She slapped her hand away, "What's wrong with trying to make your friend feel better?"

Alya snorted, "Friend? That boy wants to be your friend the same way you want to be Adrien's."

"Don't be ridiculous! He likes Ladybug, everybody knows that!" And she was Ladybug, but he didn't know that. Did he? No, there was no way he would have been able to keep that to himself.

"Then why are you touching your cheek?" the blogger smirked and a quick glance revealed that, yep, she was touching her cheek. Why were her limbs so hard to control?

* * *

 _Why_ were her limbs so hard to control? Marinette ran away from the flower shop she had trashed and the poor girl she had trampled as fast as she could. If either of them were the akuma, then maybe she could just lose them. Visions were useless! She couldn't remember anything until half a second before it happened, and by the time she remembered the flower shop, she had already walked in. She only remembered the reason why she went down the alleyway once she came face to face with the construction zone.

"Darn it!"

What were the chances it was just a weirdly accurate dream? That happened all the time, right? That's why there was a phrase like déjà vu in the first place! It must have been a dream because she was Ladybug. She was an actual superhero. She wouldn't just freeze when confronted by an akuma or put Adrien of all people in danger by crying for help. She'd fight her way out of their grasp and take them down herself.

She took a step down the alley when something glinted in the distance, right in the middle of the path. Something like the reflective surface of the ballerina music box.

"Oh, forget that!"

She was going right through the construction zone, and no one was going to stop her. If she all but ran through it, it was just because it was dangerous, not because she was scared. Not because she felt eyes on her the entire way through.

When the entrance to the Grand Hotel Paris appeared in her vision, she took a deep breath of relief and closed her eyes for a moment.

"Would you like me to escort -"

Marinette's mind blanked with fear and she was spinning on her heel, fist raised to strike before the voice registered in her head. By that point her fist had already made contact with Kim's throat and he was doubled over in pain.

"A simple no would have sufficed," he wheezed.

"Oh my gosh, I am so sorry! I didn't mean to! I've just been freaked out, and -"

"It's okay," he waved her frantic apologies away. "Nice right hook, DC."

She turned as red as a tomato, "I'm sorry."

He snorted with amusement and walked through the doors before her. She scurried after him, shamefaced, holding Adrien's gift like a shield in front of her as she joined him on the elevator ride up.

"Hey, girl," Alya shouted, somehow loud enough to be heard over the booming music. "You're late! How are you here after the birthday boy?"

"I ran into a detour," she explained.

Alya grinned wickedly and then leaned forward to speak directly into Marinette's ear, "You should have seen how worried and disappointed Adrien was that you weren't here yet. I think he was about ready to call a search and rescue."

 _Well, he would have called me, at least._ It was nice to know he worried, but it was terrible that he had to be the one to hear. . . all that. _It's over now. We made it safely. And if it's an akuma, then we'll deal with it like we always do!_

And if it wasn't. . . did she just condemn another curious girl to a bloody death in an alley?

Marinette shook the thought away, holding the gift a bit tighter to herself.

"Is that the Ladybug jacket?" the blogger asked excitedly and Marinette nodded.

It was probably a bit weird to be giving him a gift based on his celebrity crush when she was planning on confessing her own crush, but, well, she _was_ Ladybug! So, she wasn't exactly against his infatuation. Besides, everybody had a crush on Ladybug, it wasn't anything serious!

"Ooh, can I see?"

"You can see it once he opens it!"

Alya had been dying to see the finished product, but since it had taken Marinette forever and half to finish it, she hadn't had the chance.

"Well, here he comes now, tell him to open it immediately!"

"Wait, what?" Marinette whipped her head around until she saw what Alya meant. Adrien was walking directly towards them with a small smile on his face. She tightened her grip on the gift.

 _Abort! Abort! I can't do this right now!_ She needed just five more minutes or so. She shifted her weight, trying to find an out, when Alya's hand gripped her arm.

"Uh-uh, no chickening out! I'm betting on you, remember!" With a gleeful shout, she pushed the designer forwards.

There was still a bit of space between them, and she took the chance to breathe deeply. She could do this. She didn't escape the jaws of death just so that she could die by shyness. She was Ladybug! She was a superhero! All she needed to say was three words: I love you. They could work on specifics later, all she needed was to get the words out.

He was only three steps away, and she was almost excited at the prospect of finally confessing her feelings, when the window was smashed open. She turned in time to see a figure dressed all in black practically flying at her, a long, shining blade held before it.

And then she _felt_ it.

The blade went right through the gift and into her abdomen before coming out the other side. The figure's momentum didn't allow it to stop, and she was swept off her feet, her body propelled backwards until her back slammed against a wall. She stared at the hooded figure before her. Not even its eyes could be seen, but, somehow, she could sense the anger and hatred in them.

She could hear screaming, distantly, yet the akuma's heavy breathing was as clear as day. And so was the soft squelching sound her body made as it pulled its blade back out.

The gift fell to the floor in a bloody mess as her arms wrapped around her abdomen. As if that would somehow keep her insides on the inside. Oh god, those were her intestines! Marinette whimpered as she sank to the floor, the strength leaving her legs.

The akuma cocked its head, "Didn't you like my gift?"

Blood gurgled out of her mouth when she made to respond.

"Marinette!" Adrien was suddenly at her side, kneeling beside her and pulling her into his arms. One of his hands joined both of hers in trying to stop the inevitable. His entire body was shaking, a desperate glint in his eyes as they looked into hers. "Geez, just - we called an ambulance. Just hold on a little bit, okay?"

Her eyes flicked over to the akuma, surprised to find it standing there, just watching, as the familiar purple butterfly mask appeared over its face. She wondered what Hawk Moth was saying, to make it just stand there while somebody helped its prey. Maybe it was something as simple as 'nothing can be done to save her.'

Because nothing could be done to save her. She'd changed her path and he'd chased her down to kill her. Maybe she _wasn't_ meant to survive. Maybe the universe had sent her the vision so that she could understand that she was going to die and there was nothing she could do. And if that was true, then she preferred to die like this anyway. In the arms of her first love. It was almost poetic.

"Please, Marinette," Adrien sobbed, tears streaming down his cheeks. "You can't die!"

There was just one thing she needed to tell him: "Run."

Hawk Moth wouldn't be able to talk to the akuma forever, and they were never content with just one victim. She wouldn't burden Adrien with her feelings. Not now that they would only weigh him down. What did her oath matter if she was already dying?

She let her eyes slip closed and Adrien's cries fade away as she floated into a deep, unending darkness. And then. . .

"Today's the big day, Marinette!"

* * *

 **A/N:** This is like the longest opening chapter I've ever written! But I wanted to give a broader idea of what the loop is like. I'm almost certain the following chapters will be shorter - depending on how the loops go and how many will be in each chapter. I guess we'll see!

I'd like to think Gabriel is a good enough parent that **he won't let his son be murdered** just to complete his plan. Like, he told Riposte she could kill Adrien _after_ getting the miraculouses, but I'm sure he would have taken her powers away before that, so yeah, just imagine Hawk Moth telling the akuma "you can have any teenager except that blond one in particular."

I know it's hard to tell while reading, but both attacks were pretty quick, like less than a minute in real time. So, that's why Marinette doesn't really have a chance to fight back. That will change as she adjusts to everything that's going on, but also, it will be revealed that there's **actually a preternatural reason** for why she freezes up despite it obviously not being her first akuma.

Google and most English-speaking sites are kind of terrible at giving information about foreign countries, but as far as I can tell the _legal_ drinking age in France is 18, but since until very recently (2009, I think) it had been 16, the _acceptable_ drinking age is 16 as long as it's with an adult and it's not in excess. Amongst my circle, it's tradition to drink one (1) glass of alcohol one minute after midnight on the day you're legally able. And while lots of people drink way before that, the Miraculous crew are Good Noodles and follow the law, and so they wait until it's socially acceptable under adult supervision!

The chapter's title comes from **In Da Club by 50 Cent** , which was a pretty big part of the trailer for the movie but unfortunately not actually in it. But, whatever, I actually like that song and considering the subplot's trying to get to a birthday party, the line fit.

Please review and let me know what you liked, didn't like, and what could use improvement!

~ Destiny's Sweet Melody


	2. You Should Just Leave Me Alone

**A/N:** One of my favorite things is Marinette having an open, loving, and (mostly) honest relationship with her parents. So here's some of that.

 **To CeceTheFandomQue:** Thank you so much for the kind words! I'm glad to see someone else likes BTS lol

 **To Other:** Thank you for reviewing! I'm glad you liked the first chapter. I'm most definitely planning on finishing this, even though life is currently kicking me in the teeth, so hopefully you like the rest as well!

 **Thank you to everybody** that reviewed, added this story to their alerts, or added it to their favorites! I honestly thought this would be too niche-y to get more than a single review overall if I was lucky so I was blown away by the response! **I hope you enjoy the rest!**

* * *

 **Escape The Day**

 **Ch. 2: You Should Just Leave Me Alone**

"Tikki!" Marinette cried inconsolably. "I died again!"

The kwami cocked her head curiously, her eyes filled with worry as she stared down at her chosen, "Excuse me?"

"You said I had a vision of my death because I was supposed to change it and survive. So I did, but then I died anyway, but now I'm here again and how many visions can I have? You said everything was going to be fine! It is not fine! It is _very much_ not fine!"

Tikki took a moment to process what she just heard, "I didn't quite catch that."

Marinette threw herself onto her back with a groan. Her hands went instinctively to her stomach. There wasn't any pain, not like her headache after getting stabbed through the skull. Of course, she'd had a headache the first time, so that was probably just a coincidence. Unless, that was actually the second time and she'd gotten stabbed in the head the first two times. But if that was the case, then she should feel pain in her stomach now, so. . .

Great, now her headache was _worse!_

"This is _at least_ the third time I wake up on the morning of Adrien's birthday," she eventually said. That was a good starting point. Tikki floated to sit beside her head, silently encouraging her to continue. "And the last two times I was murdered by an akuma. The first time, when I was on my way to the Grand Hotel Paris. The second time, I took a different path and got to the party, but the akuma tracked me down and killed me there."

"That's horrible!" Tikki cried and pressed her body against Marinette's cheek. "What happened?"

The memory of her deaths was enough to make the blood rush in her ears. She didn't really want to talk about it, and it took a few moments of soundlessly moving her mouth before words started coming out, "It had a sword."

A weird sword. Straight on one side and rounded on the other, tapering off into a needle like point. The long blade met the wooden hilt at a weird angle; at least, as far as she could tell when it was sticking out of her torso. It looked like. . . well, it looked like one half of a gardening shear. As if she didn't have enough reasons to dislike them!

"I think I know who it is," she admitted quietly. "On the way to the party, both times, I stopped by a flower shop and managed to destroy an entire display - _both times!_ I even walked in the opposite direction the second time, and managed to destroy a completely different display!"

The florist had been furious and she certainly had the weaponry necessary to kill Marinette even without Hawk Moth's help.

"I specifically asked her to not turn into an akuma!" she pouted angrily.

"Oh, but this is good, Marinette," the kwami cheered. "If you know who was akumatized, then all you have to do is avoid them. Don't give them a reason to attack you in the first place!"

Could it really be that simple? She wouldn't be dooming somebody else to the same fate? Well, Marinette doubted anybody else was clumsy enough to walk into a flower shop and destroy half of it in less than five minutes. So. . . yes! This could actually work!

So she wouldn't give Adrien flowers, that wasn't a big deal. Technically, she could simply try another flower shop, but she didn't want to risk it. She was sure every florist in the city had a pair of wickedly sharp gardening shears, and she was kind of tired of being stabbed.

"You're a genius, Tikki!" Marinette cupped her hands around the kwami and sat up with a smile. "I can't believe I didn't think of that."

Tikki giggled, "I'm sure one's death tends to take prominence in such situations."

How often could such situations arise?

"Marinette," Sabine's voice floated through the trapdoor. "If you don't get up soon, you won't have time to make a cupcake and get to school on time!"

"Right! Cupcake!" She rose from bed with renewed energy. Everything was going to be just fine.

* * *

The groundskeeper snipping quickly at the bushes bordering the school's entrance brought Marinette up short. Her heart sped up and her palms became slick with sweat as the _shink_ sound reached her ears.

Alya stopped beside her, "Are you okay?" She looked between Marinette and the groundskeeper quickly. "Are you, like, scared?"

Marinette blushed and forced herself to look away, "A fear of gardening shears is a perfectly logical fear."

Breathing deeply, she forced herself to focus on the rest of the day. There was nothing to be scared of anymore. Everything was going to be _fine._ She forced herself to smile brightly when she heard a zooming coming towards her, "Good morning!"

Hoverboard Kid spared her a glance before silently raising a fist in greeting. Marinette stared after him, remembering how happy she had been the first time that had happened. It had been the highlight of her day right up to the moment Adrien said he couldn't imagine a world without her. It was, quite frankly, pleasing to be liked by somebody that didn't like anybody else. Not that Hoverboard Kid _liked_ her, but at the very least he deigned to acknowledge her presence. Which was more than anybody else could say.

It had been a bright spot in an otherwise terrible day. It still was.

"What's with the longing stare?" Alya's voice in her ear made her jump. When she turned, her best friend was grinning toothily, "I'm telling Adrien you're dumping him for Hoverboard Kid."

Red invaded Marinette's cheeks once again. "Don't you dare," she warned. In retaliation, Alya began sprinting towards the classroom, cackling loudly as Marinette chased after her.

The designer managed to catch up just as Alya reached the room and they literally fell in with a pair of shrieks, landing on the ground in a heap. Marinette just barely managed to avoid landing on the cupcake, holding the box high above her head.

Adrien smiled bemusedly, "What's going on with you two?"

"Marinette's just angry I caught her sighing longingly after some dude like a tragic heroine."

"Alya!"

"Oh, that - that's nice," Adrien replied uncertainly, his smile dropping slightly.

Oh joy, he thought her sighing after another guy was _nice_.

 _Just give him the cupcake_ , she huffed angrily. She was going to have to confess at the party that night, and then they'd see if he still thought it was _nice!_

* * *

"Well, hello there, Princess! You're looking so purr-fectly lovely today."

Marinette prepared to roll her eyes, before suddenly freezing. Chat Noir! Why hadn't she thought of Chat Noir before? Even if Ladybug couldn't exactly go akuma hunting before the person was akumatized, she could still have backup! Or, Marinette could.

On the miniscule chance that the florist _wasn't_ the akuma, and she was still in danger, she would feel better if she had Chat Noir there as an escort. He enjoyed doing all those 'friendly neighborhood superhero' things, and he was strong enough to hold back the akuma long enough for her to escape and quietly transform.

Besides, didn't he say he would be her knight? She never told him he was allowed to take it back!

He startled when she grabbed onto his forearm with both hands, "Are you doing anything tonight?"

"Huh?" His face turned crimson for some reason at the same time Alya choked on air in the background. Marinette quirked a curious brow but didn't have the time to question it before he began talking. "I mean, yeah, I kind of am. Aren't - aren't you? I mean, you seem like a busy person, and it seems like you dressed for a special day. Not that you don't usually look nice, but you look. . . extra nice?"

Marinette dropped her hands and frowned silently.

Chat rubbed the back of his head nervously, "We can hang out another night? Tomorrow? Or, whenever. . ."

Marinette glared, "I have to get to class." She turned on her heel with a huff and took three steps before turning back to him again. "You're gonna miss me when I'm gone, Chat Noir!"

"I'm sorry?" He sounded more confused than apologetic.

Marinette continued on her way, angry at her inability to explain things to her partner. It's not like she could say the universe was sending her visions of her impending doom because she was Ladybug and she couldn't just _die._ She needed to live long enough to purify the akuma, at least.

"Will you choose a guy?" Alya huffed as she jogged up towards her. "First Hoverboard Kid and now Chat Noir. Are you just nervous about tonight? Because Nino and I have a bet going on and I have a lot riding on you confessing."

"What are you. . .?" Wait. How exactly did she word her request? From the perspective of someone that didn't know she was looking for a bodyguard, did it sound like. . . "Did I just ask out Chat Noir?" And wait. "Did he technically accept?"

Well, it was more like a rain check, which could be considered letting her down gently, but _what the heck?_ What happened to his undying love for Ladybug that he was going around accepting random dates? He. . . didn't know she was Ladybug, right?

"Yes and yes," Alya answered succinctly.

"I didn't mean to! I'm just worried about walking to the party alone tonight and wanted company. Preferably, super-powered company!"

"I've never known you to be afraid of the dark," the redhead smirked.

"I'm not," Marinette defended. "It's just, you know: girl, dress, dark, alone. That's how B horror movies start."

"Don't worry, even if Chat Noir isn't around, if something goes wrong, Ladybug will save you," Alya said confidently.

If only Ladybug wasn't the one that needed saving.

* * *

It should have been simple. Avoid the florist, avoid the akuma. It was literally that simple, but Marinette couldn't shake off that jittery feeling. What if she was wrong? What if it wasn't the florist? What if it was the girl she had pushed to the ground and barely apologized to? She'd run away so fast that she doubted the girl had even managed to see her face, but akuma magic was powerful.

One wrong move and she was toast.

Marinette chewed on her thumbnail as she stared at Adrien's gift on her desk. She almost wanted to avoid the party altogether. Except, her eyes flicked over to where Tikki was devouring a plate of cookies, she couldn't do that either because of her oath. She'd risk death by going, and she'd risk death by staying.

She was far too young to be so worried about her doom.

"Marinette! We're going to drop off the treats for Adrien's party now," her maman announced from the stairs. "We'll leave to the restaurant from there, so we'll see you when you get back home."

 _Ooh!_ That was perfect! She could catch a ride with her parents and avoid the journey to the hotel altogether. No florist, no poor girl to trample, no dark, scary alley. No akuma. She was home free.

"Wait! Wait! Wait! Let me come with you! I want to help!"

* * *

"You sure are here early," Chloé sneered at her.

"I _am_ a part-time employee of the patisserie," Marinette reminded her.

"You're a thirsty wench, is what you are."

Well, that was true. But, just this once, her convoluted plans had nothing at all to do with Adrien. The only thought she had to give him was the fact that she had to confess that night.

"Helpful thirsty wench, though," she defended with her arms crossed and a soft 'humph.'

Chloé rolled her eyes, "Whatever."

"Mari, sweetie," her papa called her attention. "We're leaving now."

Marinette quickly ran over to meet them at the door.

"Make sure to send us pictures once you change into your dress," her papa kissed her cheeks.

"I will," she promised.

Her maman placed a hand on her shoulder and used the other to brush her bangs back. She frowned thoughtfully, "Nadja called today."

Marinette quirked a brow, curious as to where the conversation was going, but her maman suddenly shook her head and smiled brightly. "It's not important right now, we'll have to talk later though," she pulled her daughter into a tight hug. "You enjoy tonight, okay?"

"I will!"

"But not too much," Sabine winked saucily, causing her daughter to blush violently.

"Maman!"

"She's kidding," Tom soothed. "But seriously, not too much."

Marinette fought through her mortification to focus on her parents. Her kind and wonderful parents that had always done everything to make her feel safe and loved. Who always encouraged her, with her dreams and her heart, even when they didn't really understand what she was talking about. Her parents who always told her she was the light of their world.

She hadn't given them much thought before. She had been so focused on her pain and her fear and how poetic it would be to die in Adrien's arms, that she didn't stop to consider what her parents might feel if their daughter was murdered. And so brutally, too.

She didn't want to imagine how heartbroken they would be.

She jumped up to wrap her arms around them both, "I love you both! You know that, right?"

"Of course, honey," her maman soothed. "What brought this on?"

"Nothing," Marinette sniffled, feeling tears prick her eyes. She pulled back and offered them a watery smile, "I just think I should tell you more often."

"Wise girl," her papa praised. "We love you, too."

"I know," she whispered back. If she made it past tonight - _when_ she made it past tonight, she would start appreciating it more.

She followed them out of the building, and all the way to the delivery van. Waving happily at them as they drove away, she did her best to ignore the feeling that she would never see them again.

"Excuse me, would you like to help save the environment?"

Marinette turned towards the new voice and felt the blood freeze in her veins. The sharp tip of a fountain pen hovered in front of her face, its slightly curved edges tapering off into a needle sharp point and nestled in a mahogany colored casing. And holding the pen was a girl with short chocolate curls and a round face. A girl she had only seen once, well _twice_ , before. When she trampled her as she ran out of the flower shop.

"I -" she couldn't speak. This could not be happening! She was home free! She was supposed to have avoided the potential akumas completely. _This couldn't be happening!_ "I -"

"You again?" Chloé's angry screech pierced through her fear. The blonde charged the petitioner, a furious look on her face. "You've been told before that there is no soliciting in front of the hotel! Don't make us call the police!"

The brunette seemed horrified, "I'm just trying to save the planet."

"We already have Ladybug for that," Chloé scoffed. "You are not needed or wanted here. Now shoo!"

" _Chloé_ ," Marinette hissed quietly, horrified as the girl walked away with a slump in her shoulder. She was going to die because Chloé couldn't just say 'please gather signatures somewhere else' like a normal person.

"What?" the blonde turned to her with an angry glare. "Didn't you want her gone?"

The designer cocked her head. Had she been trying to be _helpful?_ "Well, yeah, but not like that!"

Even if she didn't know about Marinette's visions, Chloé had caused enough akumas to know that there were better ways to deal with someone you didn't want around.

"Oh, wah, wah! You big baby! There's no pleasing you."

* * *

Since she was already at the hotel, Marinette decided to take some extra time to do her hair after she'd changed into her dress in the ballroom's bathroom. She wasn't exactly a skilled hairstylist, but she'd learned the value of a few well-placed accessories. She dabbed rainbow glitter on her roots and lightly through her strands, before tying her hair back into a half-ponytail and topping it off with silver and pearl headband.

Chloé rolled her eyes when she saw her, but Alya squealed in joy.

"You look amazing!" her best friend gushed. "And you're sure here early."

"That's because she's a clingy stalker!" Chloé commented from where she was overseeing Nino setting up the DJ booth.

"Clingy _helpful_ stalker," Marinette shot back without even looking her way.

"It's not stalking if he wants you to chase after him," Alya teased. "And trust me, he's going to _want_ you to chase after him."

Marinette laughed at the absurdity of the idea, even as something inside her fluttered happily. She did her best to ignore the feeling of hopelessness that was threatening to overwhelm her. _It's just nerves_ , she told herself.

It was obviously the florist. She had the weapon and the reason. Marinette had avoided the florist completely so there was no reason for the akuma to come after her or any other hapless victim.

But. . . she couldn't shake the look of utter defeat in the petitioner's eyes from her mind. The way the fountain pen had been held so close to her face.

 _It was the florist_ , she insisted stubbornly. But, just in case, just to feel a little more secure, she set an alarm on her phone for eight in the evening.

* * *

"Happy birthday!"

The shout shook the windows when Adrien stepped into the ballroom. He smiled shyly, a light pink dusting his cheeks, even as his eyes brightened like a kid at Christmas. Sometimes, it seemed like he couldn't really believe he was allowed to do normal things like celebrate his birthday with friends. Granted, this was the first time he'd been allowed to have an actual party - and it had required Alya and Marinette tag-teaming Gabriel Agreste six months before the date with a veritable business plan in order to get him to agree - so perhaps he had reason to be surprised.

Marinette had already known that she and Kim were the last to arrive, even after the birthday boy, but she hadn't known just how late Adrien had gotten from whatever it was his father wanted him to do. It was a little after seven, she noted with apprehension, which meant that he hadn't been at the party for a full hour before he called to check up on her.

For a moment, her apprehension was drowned out by a wave of warmth. Of course, she knew he cared about all his friends that way, but whatever. Let her have her moment!

Adrien made his way to where Marinette and Alya were standing beside Nino's booth, giving thanks to the others as he passed them.

"Hey, birthday boy," Alya grinned. "Finally free?"

The blond looked abashed, "The meeting dragged a bit."

Alya stuck her tongue out and made to complain when Nino jumped down from his spot, an old song playing through the speakers. The DJ sang along, "Go Shawty, it's your birthday! We're gonna party like it's your birthday! We're gonna sip Bacardi like it's your birthday! And you know we don't give a fuck, it's not your birthday!"

"I can't drink Bacardi, I'm only sixteen," Adrien seemed genuinely worried he might be disappointing his best friend.

Marinette snorted with laughter and then blushed when he turned to her. _Great! Make fun of him, why don't you?_ That would certainly make him receptive to her feelings! "It's the song," she explained. "He's translating the song."

"Oh, silly me." Marinette tried to think of a way to apologize quickly, when he spoke again. "You look really nice, by the way."

Her blush spread down to her chest. Alya wiggled her eyebrows suggestively before pushing Nino away, "Get back to work, babe! And I'm going to get some punch. You guys want punch? No, okay, I'll see you later then!"

It was nice that Alya was so supportive of her best friend's crush. Marinette just wished she wasn't so obvious about it.

 _Kill me now._

No, wait! She was never thinking that phrase ever again!

"I'm glad you're here," Adrien said into the awkward silence following the blogger's departure.

"Of course, where else would I be?"

The blond opened his mouth to say something and then seemed to think better of it. "I just heard that you were looking for something to do tonight," he explained slowly. "Or someone to do it with."

Marinette wished she could disappear for a moment, "Did Alya tell you that? Because it wasn't like _that!_ I just wanted someone to escort me because of the dark and I hadn't planned on coming with my parents, so I would be walking through the streets right now. And Chat's _supposed_ to be my friend, so I thought if he wasn't doing anything then he wouldn't mind bringing me here."

"Oh, so you weren't - it's not like you _like_ Chat Noir?"

"Of course not! He's a superhero, and I'm just," she waved her hands distractedly over herself.

Adrien's eyes trailed over her body, "I'm not sure what the argument is here. Why wouldn't you like Chat Noir just because he's a superhero?"

Was he really going to argue why she should be considering somebody else? He really wasn't making this whole confession thing easy.

"Well, he's a _superhero_. He's just more, you know? Vibrant and charming and larger than life. It's not like I think he's too good for me or anything, he's just _more_. Does that make sense?"

She wasn't making a very good argument, was she? That made it sound like she really _was_ sweet on Chat Noir! Which she wasn't. That would be weird.

"You sure think highly of him," Adrien smiled genuinely at her. "But, you know you're all those things, too, right?"

Marinette tugged on the ends of her hair, "Oh, thank you!"

Why couldn't she ever flirt with anybody other than Chat Noir? She wasn't sure how, but she was almost certain he had jinxed her.

"Would you like to dance?" he asked suddenly and Marinette somehow managed not to faint.

She opened her mouth to eagerly accept until she remembered where the dance floor was located. Right in front of the windows. All those very large, very breakable windows. Her teeth clacked loudly when she closed her mouth before grimacing, "No, thanks. Maybe later. I have to. . . go do something over there!"

Half jogging away, she managed to run across the room to place herself strategically behind a pillar. Where no akuma that may or may not currently be plotting her doom could see her from the windows. Which was admittedly a little strange, but everyone was more or less used to Marinette being weird. Especially when Adrien was involved, so she didn't get much more than a few curious looks and amused smiles.

Marinette was quite happy to stand there for the rest of the night, or at least until after her alarm rang.

Alya frowned at her, "What are you doing here?"

The designer peeked around the pillar towards the windows. Still unbroken. Still displaying the picturesque view of Paris at night, lights twinkling in the distance, "I don't like the view."

The redhead wrinkled her nose, "You wouldn't just be scared of a certain birthday boy, would you?"

Marinette smiled toothily, vaguely aware that she must look a little crazed. Her heart was beating wildly and her stomach was twisting violently, but not in the usual, fun, first love kind of way. It was more like a 'right at this moment I would be destroying a flower shop' kind of way.

"Scared? Why would I be scared? I'm not scared at all!"

"Good, because he's coming this way."

Marinette squeaked in the back of her throat. Alya was right, Adrien _was_ headed right towards them, and the feeling got worse. And it wasn't even because it was _Adrien_! It was because he had the same smile on his face that he'd had when the akuma broke through a window and impaled her against the wall. A shiver ran down her spine and she pressed herself further against the pillar.

"Remember: bet! Big bucks! I'm counting on you," Alya winked at her before heading over to the DJ booth.

Adrien cleared his throat when he reached her, "Having fun?"

Marinette grimaced and felt heat flood her cheeks; she couldn't bring herself to speak, her nerves were so bad! It felt like she was thirteen again, too blinded by her crush to see right in front of her. And it wasn't even because of her crush! It was because she was _scared_.

Last time, she had been sure she had been sent a vision so that she would understand that she couldn't be saved. But then she'd woken up again, and it turned out to be a vision within a vision. Somehow. To be honest, she didn't really believe that they were premonitions sent from the universe, no matter what Tikki said.

They didn't _feel_ like visions. They felt like, well, like reality.

Something tickled the back of her hand and she jumped a little, her head whipping around in time to see Adrien retract his hand from hers and stuff it in his pocket.

"I - I asked Nino to play one of those Korean songs you like and he promised he would. Do you think you might want to dance then?"

Marinette winced as she realized what it must have looked like. She ran away claiming she needed to do something, only to stand in a corner for nearly an hour. She certainly wasn't doing much to support the fact that she loved him.

"I'd like that," she played with her fingers. "Sorry I've been acting weird, it's been a strange sort of -"

She jumped when her alarm sounded, and she quickly pulled her phone out of her purse, hurriedly pressing the snooze button. Her finger slipped across the screen a few times, and she noticed her palms were drenched with sweat.

 _I'm trembling,_ she realized, the phone visibly shaking in her grip. Swallowing thickly, she placed it back in her purse and turned back to Adrien.

His brows were furrowed with worry, "Are you okay?"

"No," she admitted. "I need a moment, sorry!"

Running from the ballroom, she stumbled almost blindly into the restroom. It was empty and quiet and she was grateful for a moment to just calm down and breathe. She shouldn't be feeling like this. She was Ladybug! She was a superhero! She was. . . really freaking scared.

She had died! _Twice!_ Nobody should be able to judge her for being frightened by that fact. Wasn't a fear of death the most primal of human fears? And who else could say they'd actually _lived_ through two violent deaths? She barely believed Tikki's explanation about visions and fate the first time, but if it wasn't a vision then. . .

Her hand landed on her stomach subconsciously. If it wasn't a vision, then did she actually die? Was that the akuma's power - some Timebreaker-esque thing? But, no. Timebreaker sent her body back in time, not her subconscious. And why would Marinette be able to remember? Wouldn't the akuma be better served by leaving her unaware?

She shook her head and forced herself to breathe deeply; once, twice, three times. She would drive herself insane thinking like that.

"It was the florist," she insisted. "We avoided her, and now it's over."

Now she needed to go back out there and dance with Adrien! She needed to remember the oath she made to Tikki and find a moment to confess her feelings once and for all. With a determined nod, she walked confidently out of the restroom into the empty hallway.

And then promptly froze as the beginning notes to _Für Elise_ played close by. She could see the music box in the corner of her eye, but she refused to turn towards it. Instead, she broke into a run towards the ballroom.

A sharp pain sliced through her left leg and she fell to the ground with a shriek. _So close._ She was only a few steps away from the door. She could hear the muffled sounds of music and laughter, but she was sure no one within would hear if she screamed for help. Not that she really wanted to. What could any of them do except offer themselves as sacrifices?

Where was Chat Noir when you needed him?

 _I hope whatever you turned me down for was worth it,_ she thought spitefully, pushing herself up into a sitting position with a grunt.

The akuma watched her, head cocked curiously, probably surprised that she was glaring at it instead of crying for mercy. It moved to stand between her and the door, "Didn't you like my gift?"

"I don't know what you mean," she spat angrily. Pulling her purse up, she hugged it to her chest, and whispered, "Tikki, does this feel like a vision?"

"No," the kwami answered shakily. She was like an _actual god_ , right? She would be able to tell what was real and what was a dream.

Marinette's eyes flicked towards the door. Her friends wouldn't be able to help her defeat an akuma - especially not _this_ akuma - but she could trust them with something else. She could trust them with her secret identity. If she could get in there quick enough to close the door and transform before the akuma broke in, then Ladybug could deal with it and keep her identity safe from Hawk Moth.

And everybody else. . . well, she'd known everybody in there for most of her life! Since she'd changed schools halfway through the school year when she was four. The only two that she'd known for less time were Alya and Adrien, whom she would trust with her life anyway. She could even trust Chloé to keep the secret. The blonde would never tell the world Marinette was Ladybug because then she'd have to admit she thought Marinette admirable in some way, and she wouldn't do that even under threat of torture.

It wasn't the best plan, and a part of her felt guilty that Chat Noir wouldn't be the first to know her identity, but it was that or death.

Her leg burned when she pushed herself into a crouching position but she ignored it and the warm stream of blood making its way down her calf. With a battle cry, she threw herself forward, tucking herself into a ball and rolling past the akuma. She grit her teeth and forced herself to stand, feeling euphoria fill her when her hands touched the door.

Then she screamed again when the akuma's blade swiped at her back, from shoulder to hip. Distantly, she was aware of the weight of her purse disappearing from her body.

She fell face first onto the ground, blood filling her mouth as she bit down on her tongue, her chin bruised as it impacted against the linoleum. _Dope_ by the Bangtan Boys was playing but was quickly shut off, an almost comical record scratch announcing the rather abrupt end to the party.

"Holy shit," Kim whisper-shouted into the ensuing silence, and some dark part of Marinette smiled at the mundane nature of the reaction.

She forced herself to turn, using her elbows to keep her burning back off the ground. The akuma stalked slowly towards her, before raising its sword towards her chest. It was still exactly the same. All black, executioner's hood, weirdly shaped sword in hand, and - now that she could take a moment to see it from a distance - there seemed to be another matching sword strapped to its back.

Why would it be the florist if she hadn't gone to the flower shop? Her eyes landed on the purse currently on the other side of the akuma. Tikki poked her head out, blue eyes filled with sadness.

Marinette sighed tiredly, "If you're the petitioner, I'd like to point out that Chloé was the one that kicked you off the property, not me."

"Hey!" Chloé cried indignantly.

"Chloé, shut up!" Adrien shouted angrily. "Marinette, get up and walk over to me _now_."

If only it were that easy. Already, there were black spots dancing in her vision, and her arms trembled with the effort of keeping her weight up.

Instead, she lay back, hissing at the pain. She bit down on her lower lip. If nothing else, she wouldn't cry out to please the akuma. "One last thing," she stared determinedly into those hooded eyes. "What's your name?"

"Blackheart," its distorted voice announced, right before it plunged the sword into her breastbone.

* * *

"Today's the big day, Marinette!"

The alarm screeched through the peaceful morning, but Marinette made no move to shut it off. She could still hear her friends screaming in horror as she died. She preferred the alarm, to be honest.

"Tikki," she interrupted the kwami's cheerful remonstrations against laziness. "Would you be able to tell the difference between visions and time travel?"

* * *

 **A/N:** This turned out longer than I thought it would be. I actually wanted to do two loops per chapter, but it would have been painful for me to edit. I'd like to think that I've already started to lay down clues as to what's going on/why she's being murdered, but without being _too_ obvious. Mysteries are hard! In the movie, Tree is affected by each of the deaths, but I decided to get rid of that because if she was getting weaker, then the future action scenes wouldn't make much sense.

Poor Adrien is the opposite of smooth, and he can't quite decide which identity he wants Marinette to like.

I would hope that at this point Marinette and Chloé would get along better. Their snark is basically just how they play, and they'd look out for each other, but also they can't be seen being _actual friends_.

The chapter's title comes from **the ringtone** that plays in _Happy Death Day_ which is annoyingly catchy.

I didn't want to do this, because I like to keep my personal life and online life separate, but **IMPORTANT** **ANNOUNCEMENT!** On Sunday, someone close to me ended up in the ICU and I'm their proxy, so I've been spending all day in the hospital, unable to write. I was lucky enough that I already had this chapter typed and edited and only needed to do a final touch-up tonight. But I'm not sure if I'll have time to update promptly next Wednesday. Obviously, I'm hoping they, at least, get out of the ICU so I can get back to writing, and I'll do my best to write when I can, but I'm honestly wiped when I get home. **I can't promise next chapter will be out next week, but I WILL be finishing this fic!** Please don't give up on it.

Please review and let me know what you liked, didn't like, and what could use improvement!

~ Destiny's Sweet Melody


	3. I Don't Have To Pick Up The Phone

**A/N: Thank you guys so much for your understanding and well wishes!** I'm pleased to announce that they're out of the ICU, so I'm really happy about it. I also watched the _Happy Death Day 2 U_ trailer and it looks awesome, I caught up with MLB _finally_ (I'm slow, I know), and my OTP in another fandom is like one step away from being canon! It's been a good week for me. I wish I could guarantee that I'll be back to updating weekly, but my person is still in the hospital and has a few surgeries coming up, so I can't. **I hope this proves I'm not giving up on this fic** , though, and I hope you won't either.

I'm not sure how the MariChat got so strong so quickly, but here we are.

 **To CecetheFandomQue:** I can neither confirm nor deny who the killer is lol. And, yeah, when I watched the movie I saw it as a time travel thing, and it _will_ make sense when everything's revealed. Also, thank you for the pun XD

 **To ARMY101:** Thanks for reviewing! I'm glad you're liking the story. The phone isn't foretelling per se. She just figured out that the akuma/everybody else is (more or less) following the same timeline so she used the alarm to warn herself.

 **Thank you to everyone** for reading, reviewing, and adding this story to your favorites and/or alerts!

* * *

 **Escape The Day**

 **Ch. 3: I Don't Have To Pick Up The Phone**

Tikki was quiet as she scanned the universe for disturbances. Or whatever it was she was doing. The kwami had been ignoring Marinette since the moment she asked if it was possible time travel was involved, floating near the skylight, a distant look in her eyes.

Marinette had been ignoring the kwami in turn. She wasn't sure what answer she would prefer. If it was visions she was seeing, then how many visions could she have? And what possible solution could she come up with if avoiding the florist altogether wasn't the answer? Maybe it _was_ the petitioner! She had the fountain pen, and Marinette had run into her at the hotel.

Though she still thought that Chloé deserved the petitioner's ire more than she did.

And if it _was_ time travel, did that mean it didn't matter what she did because the akuma was already aware of whatever she did to make them hate her? And did that mean she was _actually_ dying?

She flinched when Tikki spoke suddenly, "I can't sense anything abnormal. Nothing to suggest any muddling of the time stream like with Timebreaker. It takes a lot of concentration and power to search for an akuma before they announce their presence, but I couldn't find one to the best of my abilities. But," she flew over to hover before Marinette's face. "I wouldn't have noticed if I wasn't looking for abnormalities, but your soul looks like it's on fire!"

"Fire?" Marinette repeated confusedly.

"As far as I can tell, I would guess that the akuma is sending your consciousness, and yours alone, back in time after your death," the kwami explained, uncertainty coloring her voice.

The designer pulled her legs towards her chest, arms locking around them protectively, "But, then, how does the akuma. . .?"

Know to attack her? Keep finding her? Still hate her that much? She wasn't sure what she wanted to ask.

Tikki seemed to understand, "I can't claim to understand its reasoning, but perhaps the akuma wants you to know what's coming. It wants to give you the chance to change your fate only to succumb to hopelessness when you fail. Maybe it's trying to teach you a lesson."

Marinette frowned, "What kind of jerk do you have to be that your akuma power is the ability to kill the same person over and over?"

And how would that benefit Hawk Moth? If the day reset itself and she was the only one that knew what had happened, then the akuma wouldn't exist. And if she actually managed to avoid angering. . . the petitioner, she guessed. . . then it would be as if it never did. Which meant that Hawk Moth wouldn't be able to get Ladybug and Chat Noir's miraculouses. And he wouldn't even know that he had actually defeated Ladybug, unintentional as it was. Of course, since the day reset, it meant he wouldn't know he had wasted an akuma, which was why he kept recreating it, and -

 _Ugh_ , she slapped her forehead. Her headache was getting worse!

"Marinette! For the third time, if you don't come down right now, you'll be too late to make Adrien's cupcake!" Sabine's voice was mildly irritated.

Marinette let her gaze wander to Adrien's present. She wasn't very sure she wanted to try going to his party again. Maybe she still had the oath to contend with, but if push came to shove, she could try confessing over text again. She'd have all night to think over her words and could edit them to her heart's content. And it would probably be easier than saying it to his face.

But, if she was going to stand him up that night, the least she could do was give him a cupcake in the morning. "I'm going, Maman! Sorry!"

* * *

"Well, hello there, Princess. You're looking so purr-fectly lovely today!"

His cocky grin faded when all she did was glare at him, arms crossed over her chest, nose flaring in anger.

"Um, Princess?"

" _You_ are a lying liar," she poked him in the chest. "Princess this and Princess that, but the moment I need you, you're nowhere to be found!"

Chat Noir took a few steps back, hands up in a placating manner, "I would never abandon you!"

 _And yet you did_ , she ground her teeth together. She wasn't exactly certain if she could explain how she was so sure that he would drop her like a hot potato if push came to shove. Considering the akuma didn't exist yet, and, if she did everything correctly, would never exist at all, she couldn't just say 'my kwami informed me that my subconscious has been time traveling therefore I _know_ you would.'

"You said you would be my knight, I didn't say you could take it back!" she stomped her foot angrily.

It wasn't until she saw his face erupt in a blush and heard Alya gasp that she actually heard what she said. Her righteous indignation petered out as her own blush appeared on her face, "I didn't - I didn't mean it like. . ."

Chat Noir took both her hands in his own, his face completely serious as he spoke, "I wouldn't want to take it back. I'm happy to be your knight."

That. . . wasn't helping her blush. In fact, her face was so red she was feeling a little lightheaded. Stupid, charming, earnest cat.

"Then why won't you just spend the night with me?"

Alya seemed to choke on her own spit and Chat Noir whimpered suddenly. His hands spasmed around hers and she, belatedly, realized what she had implied _again_. Why were her words as hard to control as her limbs?

"I didn't mean it like that! I was just inviting you to a party!" His eyes were distant and she was sure he hadn't heard a word she said. She yanked her hands away and smacked his shoulder, "Stop imagining things, you pervert!"

He jumped away from her, "You started it! I mean, I wasn't imagining anything!"

Alya snorted, hands on her hips, "So much for chivalry."

Chat Noir straightened his shoulders and did his best to not seem as frazzled as he was. Obviously, he failed.

"Anyway, sorry, but I already have plans for tonight."

Marinette's anger returned, "You just said -"

"I know," he apologized, cat ears drooping against his head. "But it's just a party. If it was really serious, I'd drop everything to help you."

Why was it so hard to stay mad at him? "I know that, but. . ."

But it _was_ serious! And she should be able to tell him about an akuma, but she couldn't explain how she was so sure it wasn't just a dream without revealing Tikki. If he had been around only an hour before, then she could have accurately predicted the lights going out and the car being hit and Adrien's phone going off to prove that she knew what was going to happen. Right now, the only thing she could predict was Chloé and Tessie arguing by the entrance, which wasn't exactly rare.

Marinette hadn't ever believed there could be someone that made Chloé's worst bullying seem like gentle prodding, but lycée was truly a whole new world. The two 'alpha bitches' - a term that brought them pride for some reason - were always at odds, and woe be to anyone that got in their way. More than a few akumas had been caused that way.

Chat Noir placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, "How about we hang out tomorrow? I'll clear my schedule and spend the whole day with you, if you want."

 _Tomorrow_. He said it so easily, as if it were guaranteed. She supposed that for him it was. Although, if Ladybug was dead, she wasn't exactly sure how long Chat Noir could last. Especially against an akuma as brutally focused as Blackheart.

 _I can't die_. She couldn't do that to her parents. She couldn't traumatize her friends like that. She couldn't leave Chat Noir alone.

Marinette resisted the urge to hug him, if only because Alya might choke to death if she did anything else shocking. Instead, she placed her hand over his and squeezed, "Okay, tomorrow."

* * *

It should be simple. Avoid the florist, avoid the petitioner, no akuma. Simple.

So why couldn't she move?

"Marinette?" Tikki hovered nervously about the teenager.

"Just a moment," she answered firmly. She'd decided to stay home this time, instead of helping her parents set up the catering for the party. It would probably be easier to avoid the petitioner at night than in the day when she was actively looking for people to interact with.

Marinette had dithered about whether she would go to the party or not, before deciding that she couldn't just hide in her room. Especially since it should be simple enough to survive the night. All she had to do was. . . nothing.

She'd even gotten dressed and done her hair. And then she just stood there, staring at Adrien's present like it might strike her.

"Just one more moment," she whispered.

"If you want to stay, then we can," Tikki placed a comforting hand on her cheek.

She did, but, "I can't just hide in my room forever. Besides, the akuma's mistake was thinking that I can't learn my lesson. I can do this, I know I can."

With a determined nod, she picked up the gift and opened her purse for the kwami, "Let's get this show on the road, Tikki!"

It would be a lie to say that she wasn't scared, especially as she walked past the flower shop. She couldn't help but peek through the windows and catch a glimpse of the florist clipping flowers with a soft smile on her face.

She almost ran into the petitioner. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry," she cried, somehow managing to stop her forward momentum so that she barely brushed against the brunette.

"No harm done," the petitioner smiled gently and continued on her way.

Marinette could feel cold sweat dripping down her back. Then she let out a long sigh. Was that really it? Did she just escape the akuma?

 _I must have_. She hadn't angered anyone all day!

With a bit of a spring in her step, she continued on her way, only hesitating for half a second before deciding to go down the alley. Even if it was creepy, there was no danger anymore, and it was technically safer than the construction zone. She smiled a bit, and skipped along.

Then she heard the music.

Her feet slowed to a stop as the _Für Elise_ twinkled out into the silence. Her vision blurred as she stared at the music box. There was no one there; not behind her, or before her. That left. . . _above_. She just barely managed to keep from looking up.

It was a bit frightening to know that an akuma had been hopping across rooftops watching her. Might have been matching her every step since who knew when. Because if it wasn't the florist and it wasn't the petitioner, then she had no idea who it could be. She hadn't done anything!

The silence persisted, and she took advantage of the moment to quickly think up a plan. It would take too long to turn back and go through the construction zone. Not to mention that she'd be going through an open area, limiting her possibilities to transform. The alley really _was_ the fastest way to the hotel, and all she had to do was make it through the door, get to a closet or bathroom or even an empty hallway. Then Ladybug could take care of him.

Simple.

Music blared from her phone and she winced as she saw Adrien's name flash through her caller ID.

"Hey, Marinette!" She shouldn't have answered. "I was wondering where you were. I thought you'd be at the party before I got here."

She could picture the smile on his face and knew he would panic if he heard what was going on. There was no reason for her to answer. Except, she wanted to hear his voice.

"Marinette?"

There was bit of worry in his voice and it reminded her of her decision. She adjusted her grip on the gift and moved into position to run, "I'll be there in a few minutes."

She broke into a run, vaguely aware of a thump landing behind her. _Don't look back,_ she ordered silently. Girls that looked back died in horror movies.

"Are you running?" Adrien asked and she realized holding the phone to her ear wouldn't actually help her run faster.

"Akuma," she growled and pulled the phone from her ear. There was a lot of shouting coming from the phone, but she couldn't pay much attention to it. Not when there was a muffled stomping sound gaining on her.

The distance to the hotel wasn't much, but it felt like a small eternity before she finally saw the brightly lit exterior. She saw the doors burst open at the same time she was pulled back harshly. Her feet left the ground and the world spun, gravity releasing her from its hold, before her back impacted with a wall. She lost her grip on the phone and it fell with a clatter, the gift following seconds later.

A scream ripped itself from her throat as the akuma's blade pierced her shoulder.

"Marinette!" She could hear Adrien's voice twice over, from the phone and in the distance.

"Where is she?" That was Alya, panic palpable in her voice.

Marinette kicked at the akuma, but the impact barely forced it to shift its weight. It cocked its head, "Didn't you like my gift?"

She still didn't know what it meant, "No."

Its head snapped into upright position so quickly she swore she heard a crack. She couldn't see its eyes, but suddenly she could feel an angry heat lick over her skin. Like all the hate and wrath in the world was abruptly focused on her. It pulled the blade out of her shoulder and she grit her teeth to keep from screaming.

The air left her lungs as it picked her up only to slam her against the wall again. She heard a cracking sound again, but she knew it didn't come from the akuma that time. Like a puppet with its strings cut off, she fell to the ground when it released her from its grip.

The glare from her cellphone burned at her eyes where she landed, her face scant centimeters away from the device. Through the speakers, she could hear the panicked voices of her classmates, but they were getting further away in reality.

Her nails dug into the gravel when she felt the akuma place a foot on her lower back. It wasn't putting much weight onto her, but it was so giant, its foot alone was about as large as her torso was thick. And she understood that all it was trying to do was keep her steady as it prepared to attack.

 _I'll clear my schedule and spend the whole day with you._

Why was she thinking about that right now? Where was he when she needed him? He was supposed to protect her long enough for her to save the day. That was how they worked. Then they could spend the whole day together.

"Chat," she whimpered, and the akuma added more weight onto her back. She closed her eyes, knowing what was coming.

"Marinette," she could almost hear his voice. As clearly as if he were laying right next to her. He sounded as tired and wrecked as she felt. "I'm so sorry, Marinette."

* * *

"Today's the big day, Marinette!"

Marinette's eyes snapped open at the sound of Tikki's voice. For a single heartbeat, the world ceased to exist. There was no sound or sensation, just a deep well of sorrow that she thought she might never be able to climb out of. And then the alarm pierced her ear drums.

An uncontrollable rage pulsed through her body, and Marinette jumped to her feet and ripped the digital clock from the its spot. "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!"

Winding her arm, she threw it like a baseball across the room, where it burst into pieces against the wall. It wasn't enough.

"It's not fair," she pulled at her hair. "I didn't do anything that time! I didn't do anything!"

She let her weight fall back onto the bed. The combination of anger and the headache that she made worse by screaming caused tears to well up in her eyes. She hiccupped more than sobbed, but it still made Tikki flutter worriedly around her, asking desperately for an explanation for her state.

The kwami flew away suddenly, and then the trapdoor to her room slammed open. Marinette flinched and prepared to run before she realized it was her parents climbing up with worried looks on their faces.

"Marinette, what's wrong?" her papa asked.

She whimpered and opened her arms for a hug, which he was happy to give. Wrapping her arms around his shoulders as best as she was able, she squeezed her eyes shut and did her best to breathe calmly. "It's nothing, I had a bad dream. Sorry."

"It's not nothing," her maman soothed. "I know you think you're grown already, but you can always call us for help with anything. That doesn't make you weak."

"I know." She would always need her parents. But this wasn't something they could help her with. She pulled away from her father, "I feel better now, thanks. I'll be down to make the cupcake in a bit."

Her parents frowned at the dismissal, but exited the rooms with only curious looks thrown her way.

"Tikki," she called once the trapdoor was closed. "Look at my soul."

* * *

"Are you okay?" Adrien asked as she handed him the cupcake.

Her hands were shaking, her eyes must still be a little red, and she was sure she must be pale. Or green. Or, perhaps, there was a dead look in her eyes. She certainly felt a little dead inside, as morbid as the thought was.

"I think she's a little freaked that Hoverboard Kid actually greeted her today," Alya gave as an explanation. Adding a tease, "Our little Mari has only herself to blame for being so charming."

"Oh, that - that's nice," Adrien coughed awkwardly. "I've always been a little jealous of the way you make friends so easily."

Marinette was sure that she was supposed to say something - perhaps assure him that he was just as charming and capable of making friends as she was - but she couldn't quite make her mouth work. Or her mind.

Alya hip-checked her, "Girl, clear your head or _people_ will think you're into Hoverboard Kid or something."

The designer stayed quiet, even through Chloé's reminder of diets and Nino's defense and Alya coaxing a compliment out of Adrien. She numbly followed the blogger to their seats. There was only one thing she could think of.

 _I'll clear my schedule and spend the whole day with you._

She wasn't sure why it mattered so much. That the last thing she heard before dying was him apologizing for not being there for her. Especially since it was just her imagination.

Especially since he had never technically offered to spend the day with her.

Nothing that had happened in any of the loops counted as real. Adrien didn't ask her to dance. Chat Noir didn't offer to drop everything to spend time with her. She really shouldn't care, anyway.

Especially since she already knew she was going to see him that day thanks to Luminescence.

"You okay there, Princess?" Chat Noir seemed completely serious as he stared down at her.

Marinette opened her mouth to answer honestly before stopping herself. She already knew what he would say if she said no, and she didn't want to go through the same conversation again. She didn't want to hear Alya's teasing again. She didn't want to feel that traitorous fluttering feeling in her stomach again.

So, instead, she asked, "If you knew it was your last day on earth, how would you spend it?"

His eyes widened and a blush peeked out from under his mask. She wondered if he was going to say something sappy like 'spend it with Ladybug.' Or something perverted that _also_ involved Ladybug.

"I - I don't know. I've never really thought about it."

She narrowed her eyes, not quite believing that somebody that regularly risked his life - that had technically lost his life a few times - had never wondered what he would do if he had a heads up. She did, sometimes. And, surprising even herself, she didn't think of Adrien in those moments. She thought of her parents; how much they loved her, and how much she loved them. There was no uncertainty or fear of rejection with them, and, if she had the choice, she would rather die surrounded by their love.

Except now. . .

 _I'll clear my schedule and spend the whole day with you, if you want._

She did! It was bit of a shock, and she wanted to be angry with him for putting the idea in her head in the first place. She would like to spend an entire day beside him. Even knowing already that such an option was off the table, because he had _plans_ to do Not Chat Noir stuff, she supposed.

Closing the small gap between them, she wrapped her arms around him, ignoring the way he stiffened against her. He relaxed quickly enough, one of his arms wrapping around her waist almost gingerly. His other hand began rubbing up and down her back and she melted against him.

 _I'd spend mine with you_. She wanted to say it but if she messed up, if the akuma decided this was the last time it would teach her a lesson, if Hawk Moth wised up to what was happening and put an end to it. . .

If this was her last day on earth and she said that to him, knowing that he couldn't give her what she wanted. . . she could still hear the bitter regret in his voice as he apologized.

She couldn't do that to him. She wasn't that selfish, "It wouldn't be your fault if something happened to me."

The hand on her back stopped its soothing movements, "It's not _actually_ your job to look after me." Well, maybe it was to watch her back while she was Ladybug. But it wasn't being her bodyguard and it certainly wasn't when she was Marinette.

"Marinette?" His hand appeared under her chin and tilted her face to look at him. Worry and protectiveness and anxiousness swirled in his eyes. "Are you in danger?"

"Not yet," she answered flippantly. His eyes were actually strangely pretty, and the longer she stared at them, the less fear she felt.

His thumb stroked her cheek gently and she felt it tingle like the last time she all but broke down in front of him. "If you need me for anything, just call me and I'll come running."

She hummed her understanding but didn't move away. His thumb was still stroking her cheek and she only became aware of the fact that he was moving closer when his nose brushed her own. She still didn't move away.

Not until Alya aggressively cleared her throat. Marinette pulled herself from his grasp and spun to face her best friend. The sepia-haired girl had a devilish grin on her face, her phone held up in recording position, "If you could please speak louder for the camera, I'd super appreciate it. All that murmuring's really romantic and all, but it's not working for me."

Marinette felt her blush spread to her chest. She _could_ yell at Alya, but she knew the blogger felt absolutely no regrets in embarrassing her. Especially not since she seemed to be under the delusion that Marinette could 'get herself some tail' if she tried a little harder, and that if she did then Chat Noir would be obliged to give the blogger more exclusive interviews.

"I have to get to class!" she shouted instead, jogging back towards the school building.

She slowed a bit as she saw Chloé and Sabrina locked in a staring contest with Tessie and Fleur. This was, what, the fifth time she saw this scene? And she still had no idea what it was about.

Tessie turned her brown eyes to Marinette when she noticed the designer staring, "Oh look, it's the do-gooder."

On any other day, Marinette would have let her anger get the best of her and snapped back at the brunette, but she didn't need _two_ akumas after her. And she was still feeling kind of fuzzy from being in Chat's arms. So, she maturely ignored the jab and continued walking to her classroom.

"Hey! Dupain-Cheng!" Chloé screeched at her. "Are you just going to let her talk to you like that?"

Marinette looked back at the quartet over her shoulder, not even stopping her gait, "Why should anything some random girl in school says matter to me?"

It wasn't until she saw the wicked smirk on Chloé's face that she understood that could be construed as an insult rather than maturity. She felt herself pale and ran the rest of the way to class. Geez, it felt like she was walking through a minefield! Every little thing she said or did might be the thing that caused Blackheart.

But. . . it couldn't be Tessie, right? She hadn't so much as looked back at her the first few times, and the brunette hadn't even deigned to insult her. She couldn't be Blackheart, could she? Could she have insulted the self-proclaimed alpha bitch simply by walking by?

Alya dropped down into her seat beside her, grinning madly at her phone, "So, do you want me to play this at your wedding or. . ?"

Marinette groaned. If only she could focus on Alya's senseless teasing. If only she could focus on that twisty, fuzzy feeling Chat Noir caused every time he touched her skin.

* * *

Marinette didn't so much as bother with going through the motions of getting ready for the party. Instead, she went ahead and changed into her pajamas as soon as her parents left, and started a movie marathon. Her maman had quirked a brow when she asked them to take the gift to the party for her, knowing that nothing short of a life-threatening illness would have kept her from the festivities, but Marinette had waved away her inquiries by saying she would feel better walking the streets empty handed.

She would be safe in her room, and if the akuma attacked somebody else, then she'd be ready to transform and defeat it.

Except. . .

"Ladybug can't bring back the dead, can she?"

"I'm afraid not," Tikki answered. "That power belongs only to a god, and would require combining the ladybug and black cat miraculouses. And even then, the price that would need to be paid would be immeasurable."

The Miraculous Cure had always seemed like the ultimate life hack. It could fix everything, from broken bones to shattered glass, as long as it had been caused by an akuma, whether directly or not. She didn't even have any scars on her body despite being thrown off buildings, nearly drowned, and singed by fire. But, somehow, probably by some sort of divine intervention, no one had ever died during an akuma attack, so the situation had never presented itself.

Some part of her knew that would be the answer, though. It wasn't like she thought herself omnipotent.

"So a hero can't bring an innocent person back to life, but this akuma gets to bring me back over and over until it gets bored or I learn my lesson or whatever?"

Tikki hummed uncertainly, "I don't know if I completely agree with my previous self's assumption. If the two akuma-worthy events were avoided but the akuma still appeared, then there must be something we're missing."

Marinette's lips quirked up into a small smile, "Are you really going to debate yourself?"

The kwami smiled brightly, "That's exactly what I should do! Don't you see? The great thing about you remembering each event is that you have unlimited chances to solve your own murder!"

The blue eyed girl grimaced. She didn't have to sound so cheerful about it!

"You've already eliminated two suspects," the red being continued. "If you can figure out who is doing it before they get to you, then you could stop what is possibly the most dangerous akuma ever before it's even created!"

"It took me four tries just to eliminate two suspects," Marinette argued. "And without them, I have no idea who it could be. What am I supposed to do? Just die until I don't?"

"Well. . ."

"Are you kidding?" the designer seethed. "Your brilliant idea is for me to die again and again until I figure out - _somehow_ \- who wants to kill me?"

The kwami thought it over for a moment, "Do you have a better idea?"

Marinette sighed, her shoulders slumping. No, she didn't. If she went out searching as Ladybug while Blackheart was searching for Marinette, they'd both end up chasing their tails. "I'm doomed."

"No you're not, you're Ladybug! You're a superhero!"

"But I'm not, am I?" Marinette asked morosely. "You've always said that I'm Ladybug in the suit or out, and usually I can see what you mean, even when I don't really believe it. But, with this akuma, it's never been more apparent that I'm nothing without the suit. I've never felt as powerless as I did when I tried to kick him away and it did nothing."

Tears pricked her eyes. She'd had to deal with akumas outside of the suit before, that was nothing new. But, usually, she had enough time to sneak away and transform. Usually, akumas were more interested in causing havoc than actual murder. Blackheart struck like lightning. And his only objective seemed to be killing Marinette.

And Marinette wasn't anything special without her suit.

"I'm just a stupid little girl that thought too highly of herself because she got a pair of magical earrings."

"Oh, don't say that," Tikki soothed. "I understand you must be feeling terrible because, well, I can't imagine what it must be like to die, let alone die multiple times! But you _are_ Ladybug. You _are_ capable. You are going to defeat this akuma, like you've defeated all the others. If all you get is ten seconds of warning, then you need to prepare so that is all you need."

 _Easier said than done._

Marinette forced a smile on her face and nodded in agreement. She could tell the kwami didn't believe her.

Her phone rang, the electronic trap music a jagged blade through the quiet mood. She was surprised to see it was Adrien, as it was earlier than he usually called.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Marinette!" Adrien's cheerful voice came through the speaker. "Chloé told me you sent your gift over with your parents. I was just wondering if you were going to be by later, or. . ."

He trailed off and Marinette felt her heart constrict. She knew how much it meant to him that his father finally allowed him to have a party with all his friends. And now one of his first friends, one that helped make the party possible, wasn't even going to be there.

She was a terrible friend, "Sorry, I won't be able to make it."

"What? Why?" He sounded as devastated as she had imagined he would.

It wasn't easy to explain, though. "I just can't. I'm sorry, I really wanted to, but. . ."

"Did something happen? Are you okay?"

"Nothing yet," she smirked, remembering her conversation with Chat Noir.

"You're kind of worrying me," he said slowly. "Are you sure everything's okay?"

"Of course, I'm in my room, watching movies on my -"

She had turned away from the computer during her conversation with Tikki, which meant that she didn't see the shadow in the window next to her desk. She could barely see it now, even with the streetlights. Its cloak and hood were as dark as the night, and it stood so still, only silently watching her, that she could almost believe she was imagining it.

"Marinette?"

She swallowed thickly, "Akuma."

" _What?_ "

"There's an akuma outside my window," she took a slow step back, even knowing there was nowhere to go. Her paranoia had worked against her. "I messed up. I can't get out. I put - I pushed my dresser over the trapdoor."

"Why would you do that?" Adrien demanded, and she decided to forgive the bite in his tone because she knew it was born of worry.

"I forgot it could fly." It had usually been on the same level as her. She forgot it had broken in through a window near the top floor of the Grand Hotel Paris once.

Her eyes burned from staring at it for so long. She blinked and then heard herself whimper. It was gone! "I need to call Chat Noir!"

"No! Don't hang up!" Adrien ordered. It sounded like he was running. "I can contact him for you, but _don't hang up_."

Marinette looked around the room and realized she couldn't see Tikki anywhere. The kwami must have hidden away from the akuma's gaze, but. . . how long had it been standing there, watching? Had it seen her speaking with the kwami? Heard her call herself Ladybug? Did Hawk Moth already know that his mortal enemy was trapped in her bedroom with a murderous akuma lurking outside?

It might benefit her if he did. If he already knew her secret identity, then it wouldn't matter if she transformed in front of the akuma or not. But she'd have to hang up on Adrien in order to do so.

"Marinette! Tell me what's going on!"

"I - I can't see it anymore. I don't know where it went."

A solid thump on her roof answered that question, and she looked over at the dresser, wondering if there was enough time for her to push it out of the way and escape.

The skylight shattered and Blackheart jumped down to her loft with a nearly silent thud. That such a giant creature was so quiet somehow added to her fear.

"It's inside," she whimpered. Tikki seemed sure that she would keep coming back until she beat the akuma, but Marinette wasn't so sure. Each death could be her last death. Could be the one that finally sticks. And she wasn't prepared to die. "Ti-"

Blackheart was in front of her in an instant, one overly large hand wrapped around her throat, keeping her from finishing the incantation. Oh yes, it knew. And it wasn't about to let her transform.

Hawk Moth's symbol appeared before his face and that was the only warning she received before its other hand swung over and ripped her earring off her right ear. On instinct, she swung her arm, the one holding the cellphone, and jammed the device in between its eyes. It seemed more startled than hurt, but it was enough for it to release her throat.

Her ear stung and she couldn't get enough air, but she forced her legs to move towards the skylight. She'd take her chances climbing down the drainpipe before she risked spending more time with Blackheart. Especially now that there was no Ladybug; one earring wasn't enough to transform.

She had just made it to the ladder when she felt herself be pulled off her feet and thrown against the bed like a ragdoll. Panic clawed at her chest as it held her down with one hand on her stomach. There was something inherently wrong about it touching her. It made her skin crawl and she wondered if that also was part of its powers.

Marinette kicked, but it grabbed her leg and slammed it back down onto the bed. It pushed more weight onto her leg and it wasn't long before a loud crack sounded through the room.

"Chat!" she cried in agony and the akuma placed the hand that had broken her leg over her mouth, squeezing so tightly she feared it meant to break her jaw. The hand that had been holding her down reached for one of its swords.

Marinette clawed at the hand over her mouth, but knew that it probably didn't feel a thing. At least this time Adrien wouldn't hear her screams. She wasn't even sure where the phone had ended up, though she was pretty sure she could hear him yelling distantly.

She grunted when the sword went through her stomach and right through the bed. The impact of the blade impaling itself onto her loft reverberating through her body.

"Princess!" Chat Noir's voice came through the broken skylight, but by that time she was already fading into darkness. Marinette truly hoped Tikki was right about the unlimited chances. She didn't want Chat to find her all broken and bloody in her own bed.

* * *

 **A/N:** Obviously, Tikki isn't exactly right, and now you have to figure out how close to the truth she managed to get. In case it wasn't clear, when Marinette thought she heard Chat Noir as close as if "he was laying right next to her," **it was Adrien through the phone.**

I keep having Adrien on the phone while she's being murdered because if she's being killed then it's only fair that he's emotionally traumatized. Two halves and all that! But at least he doesn't remember any of that.

No, the akuma resetting the day despite Hawk Moth having the miraculous **isn't a plot hole,** **it's a** _ **hint.**_ And akumas have been shown to be able to turn on Hawk Moth if they're quick enough. I'm not an expert on astral projection time travel, but I assume it'd be pretty quick, you know. Also, I swear the soul being on fire thing is going to have a point!

The uniqueness of the relationship between Tree and Carter, where he's already smitten with her but she slowly falls for him through repeated exposure in the loops, is precious to me. And that's kind of what's going on with the MariChat here.

This chapter's title also comes from the _Happy Death Day_ ringtone.

Please let me know what you liked, didn't like, and what could use improvement!

~ Destiny's Sweet Melody


	4. How Am I Supposed To Be Positive?

**A/N:** As you can probably tell by the chapter titles, this is really just me being silly and having some fun with the characters. Mean fun, but fun!

I've been having trouble with my new caretaker responsibilities and I haven't had much time to write. I don't have time alone in the day and I'm too tired to write in the night. But, **it is my sincerest hope is that this will be the start of weekly updates again.**

 **To CeCetheFandomQue:** I'm glad you're liking it so far!

 **To MysNis1206:** Thank you for the compliment! I'm glad you like the fic so far, and I hope you get to write your own version, too!

 **To Max:** Tree is the main character of the movie this fic is based on (I had mentioned her before so I didn't think I had to again, but sorry for the confusion), Carter is her love interest. Tessie and Fleur are OCs because I have to keep you on your toes regarding who the akuma is! And thank you for letting me read the words "who the stinkbug" lol.

 **To Guest(Fanficfan):** I'd like to just say you're on the right track when thinking the past has something to do with it, but not exactly the way you're thinking.

 **To Kittykat44:** LOL, she's certainly going to do some crazy things, but it'll be a few chapters until she gets to Tree level crazy.

* * *

 **Escape The Day**

 **Ch. 4: How Am I Supposed To Be Positive About This?**

"New plan, Tikki," Marinette announced as she held a heating pad gingerly against her forehead. "I'm going to hunt down the akuma before it can hunt me down!"

The kwami sighed thoughtfully, "Can you really do that?"

 _Shouldn't_ you _know that?_ the teenager wondered silently. Only one of them had five thousand years of being a magical vigilante under their belt and it wasn't the sixteen year old! "Well, what choice do I have? You told me I have unlimited chances to solve my own murder, but I can't just keep dying and hope I stumble onto the answer!"

She genuinely couldn't remember doing anything worth this kind of violence. She knew that akumas muddled the mind so that the smallest insult was worth the worst recompense, but it usually didn't hide the reason why. That's why it almost made sense for it to be the florist with her sharp instrument and destroyed shop. Or even the petitioner, who she hadn't said sorry to for pushing her over and scattering her work.

But she knew it wasn't either one of them because she avoided them completely the last time. And the only hint she had as to what Blackheart was angry about was its repeated refrain of "Didn't you like my gift?" Which made no sense to her since she hadn't received any gifts recently.

And it hadn't even said it the last time.

If Marinette didn't know any better, she would swear it was more eager to kill her the last time than it had been any of the times before. Not that it really mattered. Murder was murder and she would still be dead even if they killed her gently.

And then there was the _name_ Blackheart. Akumas usually had names that reflected their power or weapon or reason for akumatization. What even was a blackheart? And what did it have to do with an executioner's hood and twin sharp blades? Oh, and gifts.

What did any of it have to do with _her?_

Marinette moved the heating pad to her chest and pinched her cheeks to make them rosy. Her alarm had rung twenty minutes ago and she knew one of her parents would be up to check on her soon. She hoped it would be her papa, as he was the more gullible of the two.

"I don't want to die again, Tikki," she admitted quietly. It wasn't even a surprising statement anymore, having died multiple times. She was already starting to lose count of how many times she'd been murdered. That was probably something that should be considered memorable, but her brain's instinct seemed to be pushing it back to the recesses of her mind.

If she thought too long on it, she could feel the sharp burn of the of the sword as it impaled her against a wall. She could hear the sheer terror in her friends' screams as it plunged into her chest. She could hear the desperate panic in Chat Noir's voice as she faded into oblivion on her bed.

"Marinette," her maman's voice floated through the closed trap door. She managed to shove the heating pad under her pillow just before it swung open. "I have been calling you for the last fifteen minutes! If you don't get down right now -"

Sabine stopped short at the sight of her messy-haired daughter still lying in bed.

"Maman, I don't feel too good," Marinette made sure to make her voice wobble. She wasn't exactly a Hollywood starlet, but faking an illness to get out of class was a talent she definitely possessed.

The baker walked up the steps to her daughter's bed and placed a hand against her forehead. "You _do_ feel a bit warm," she hummed thoughtfully, moving her hand to Marinette's neck. "You didn't seem sick last night."

Marinette coughed pitifully, "I woke up feeling bad."

"Hmm, I suppose you wouldn't miss today for just anything," her maman teased and Marinette was glad that her cheeks were supposed to be rosy to sell her story. "Okay! Just stay here and rest, I'll go make you some soup."

"Chicken noodle," she called after her maman as she walked down to the door, forgetting for a moment that there was a _reason_ she was playing sick. And it wasn't just to get a long overdue day off.

The older woman smiled indulgently, "As you wish, my dear!"

"I hope you know what you're doing," Tikki intoned the moment they were alone.

Marinette didn't actually have any idea what she was doing, but she figured hiding out for the day was as good a place to start as any. If she was lucky, then maybe the akuma would cease to exist altogether if she didn't leave her room to anger it. Maybe she had stepped on somebody's foot without noticing, or pushed rudely past someone without stopping to apologize.

And if she wasn't lucky, well, this time around Ladybug would be patrolling the city the moment the sun went down. Waiting to see if she could escape wasn't working, so she'd switch to hunting it down.

"I'm going to win," she said resolutely, and was only half surprised to find that she meant it.

* * *

It took a bit of time management to make sure that no one came up to her room at the same time Ladybug was dealing with Luminescence. It had required her to ask for seconds and even thirds of the chicken noodle soup so that she could truthfully say she wasn't hungry at lunchtime and would be left alone. The fact that stuffing herself so fully made her queasy only helped convince her parents she was feeling terribly ill.

Marinette flopped down on her bed face first seconds after releasing her transformation. Luminescence wasn't any stronger than she had been the first time, but Marinette was exhausted. And, apparently, all of Tikki's transformative magic couldn't completely take that exhaustion away.

It seemed kind of weird that mental, and perhaps spiritual, exhaustion could transform itself into a physical ache. Usually, she just had to deal with long nights and back to back akuma attacks, not. . . whatever this could be categorized as.

Tikki flew over to her secret stash of cookies and left Marinette alone with nothing but the sounds of the recommended playlist on YouTube she left playing as proof she was still in the room. She wasn't exactly sure what _Oh wait til' I do what I do, hit you with that ddu-du ddu-du du_ actually meant, but it sounded vaguely dirty. She hummed along anyway.

A loud thump on her balcony caused her to sit up in fright. "Tikki," she hissed, but the kwami was nowhere in sight.

Which meant that it likely wasn't the akuma, since the good luck god wouldn't just abandon her chosen when there was still time to transform in secret. And if it wasn't an akuma, there was really only one person it could be.

Marinette climbed the steps slowly, half-afraid that her reasoning was wrong, and opened the skylight, "Chat Noir?"

She released a small 'eep' when the black-clad superhero grabbed her arms and pulled her the rest of the way onto the balcony. He grinned toothily at her, "Hello, Princess, how are you today?"

Well, she was still in her pajamas. "Sick," she answered shortly.

"Like, really sick?" Marinette crossed her arms and glared. Which probably didn't help support her claims that she was sick, but Chat didn't do well under her glare anyway and quickly backtracked. "I just meant if you didn't think you'd be well enough by tonight to keep your plans."

"My plans?" Did he mean the _party?_ How did _he_ know about that? "What do you know about my plans?"

"Er - I just - Alya mentioned something about tonight! When she told me you hadn't shown up to class! She seemed really worried, so I offered to drop by."

Marinette's brows furrowed. She could buy Alya mentioning something about her being missing to Chat Noir. And she could even believe in her best friend wheedling him until he agreed to visit the allegedly sick girl since, once again, she seemed to believe that they had a _thing_ going on and Alya had always enjoyed playing matchmaker for Marinette. But, if she were really worried, she would have just sent a text. Which she _had_. There was no reason for her to send anyone to check up on Marinette.

And there was definitely no reason for her to mention her plans for the night. If she were really trying to matchmake, why would she mention the party Marinette had been dying to go to in celebration of another boy's birthday?

"Alya told you?" she made sure to sound as suspicious as possible.

Chat Noir rubbed the back of his head, "Yeah, of course, how else would I know?"

Well, she supposed that was true, "I guess."

He sighed in relief and took her right hand in both of his, gently rubbing the back of it, "Is there anything I can do to help you feel better?"

She was suddenly reminded of Alya's teasing and squeaked in the back of her throat. There was that damned blush again! _It helps add validity to your story_ , she comforted herself. "No - no, my parents are taking good care of me."

Her breath stuck in her throat when she looked into his eyes. _That was a mistake!_ Alarms went off in her brain as she felt _something_ that should not be there shift warmly in her chest. She shouldn't be feeling _things_ for Chat Noir. Not now when she was bound by divine oath to confess to Adrien. Not now that she was being murdered and any death might be her last. Not now that he was making her feel these things as _Marinette._

But that was the reason for it, wasn't it? The fact that he had been so gentle and helpful to her as Marinette. Not Ladybug, love and light of his life. And also kind of, sort of his boss, so he'd have to listen to her even if he didn't have a crush on her.

Yet, he'd offered to spend the day with Marinette. He told Marinette he'd come running if she called him when there was trouble. And then he _had_ , even if he was a few seconds too late. Despite knowing that she shouldn't count things that had technically never happened, there was a part of her brain that was quietly and quickly tallying points in Chat Noir's favor, because the one thing that seemed to never change, no matter how many times she relived the same day, was that he would be there, trying to make her smile.

Not even trying to hide from the world in her room had managed to change that.

She quickly pulled her hand from his grip and winced at the crestfallen look on his face. He quickly hid it, but that somehow just made it worse, and before she knew what she was doing, she spread her arms out. It was too late to back down by then, "A hug would be nice?"

Chat Noir's face lit up and he quickly pulled her to him, wrapping his arms securely around her and tucking her head under his chin.

Marinette leaned into him easily, her arms circling his waist. It really _did_ help relax her. In a completely platonic, this was her partner who always had her back so of course he made her feel safe kind of way. That point keeper in her brain could shut up!

Then she snorted when he started purring.

"Don't laugh at me," he chided playfully, squeezing her just a smidge too tight for a second. "Purring helps speed up the healing process. That's a scientific fact!"

"Sure it is," she replied teasingly. "Want to come into my room? You can purr to your heart's content in my bed."

Marinette froze at the same time he seemingly stopped breathing. Why did everything she say to him have to sound like she was inviting him to be ravished by her?

"As nice as that sounds," Chat Noir began, slowly releasing her from his grip. "I actually have some stuff I'm supposed to be doing right now. But I'll be happy to drop by some other day, and _purr_ in your bed all you want me to."

He had the audacity to wink at her! If she found the strength to push him off her balcony, would that prove she wasn't actually sick?

"I am un-inviting you to my room," Marinette huffed as she walked back to the skylight.

She was halfway down the steps when he spoke again, amusement dripping from his words, "By the way, are those Chat Noir-themed pajamas?"

Marinette blushed as she looked down at the black fuzzy pants with little green paw prints, the acid green top with a plush golden bell at the dip in the neckline. "They are not!" she shouted and shut the skylight, fuming at his loud guffaws.

There was the Chat Noir she knew! Goofy, and playful, and annoying. And who most definitely didn't make her _feel things._

Quickly tunneling beneath the covers, she buried her face in her pillow and screamed her frustration. This stupid akuma was ruining her peace of mind in more ways than one.

"Marinette? Are you okay, honey?" Sabine poked her head into the room.

Marinette lifted her head and wondered just how much her mother could hear over the music, "Yes, Maman."

Her maman walked over and she sat up and scooted over in bed to give her space to sit down. "You still look a little flushed," Sabine noted and Marinette bit her tongue so she wouldn't insist that she wasn't blushing, no way, no how. "Do you think you're up for having a talk?"

"Talk?" she asked, wondering what it could be about. Obviously not about inviting weird cat boys into her room, but still! How many 'talks' was she meant to have with her parents?

"It's not terribly necessary to have it right now," Sabine continued. "It'll just take a while and I figured if you're stuck in bed anyway, we might as well take advantage!"

Oh god, it _was_ another Talk with a capital T, wasn't it?

Marinette opened her mouth to argue when the sounds of BTS' _DNA_ faded out and was replaced with a hip hop beat. She felt the blood drain from her face as she recognized the song, unsure of how it got into her recommended videos. It was probably Nino's fault, and she was never going to let him use her computer again!

Her heart felt like it was going to burst out of her chest as she heard _Go, go, go, go Shawty, it's your birthday!_

She tried to remind herself that she had only heard it the once, that it wasn't the herald of her doom. How many things were going to be ruined for her because of this akuma? Hadn't she been terrified of Adrien _smiling_ at her in a certain way? She was going to break this akuma in half if it made her afraid of Adrien's smiles!

Sabine tsk'd and cupped Marinette's face, "You're shaking! You know what? It can wait until tomorrow when you're feeling better."

"No, I -" she wasn't sure what she wanted. She didn't really want to 'talk' with her mother, and she didn't want to know what inspired her to want to talk, but she didn't want to feel like the akuma was affecting her so thoroughly. She didn't want to feel so powerless. "I'm okay."

"My strong girl," her maman smiled and kissed her forehead. "But, really, it's just me being silly. I'll go get started on your lunch if you feel up for it."

Marinette nodded silently, and waited until her mother was out of the room before letting her weight fall back onto her bed. She couldn't wait for this day to be over. It was utterly exhausting!

* * *

After her parents left to deliver the catering - and making them promise they'd still go on their date even if she _was_ sick - she made sure to close all the shades in the entire apartment. She wasn't exactly sure at what point Blackheart started spying on her, but she wasn't taking any chances this time.

Of course, when the time came, that meant she couldn't just transform into Ladybug either. She had to sneak out of the building, which was nerve-wracking in its own right, and travel far enough away so that, hopefully, even if the akuma was already spying on her, it wouldn't make the connection between her and her spotted alter ego.

Circling around her block didn't reveal anything, so she went to the only other place she had seen the akuma. The area around the Grand Hotel Paris was surprisingly deserted. Maybe it was because of the construction disrupting traffic flow, maybe Chloé had somehow threatened the entire area against making too much noise during Adrien's party, but it was creepily empty for being so early in the night.

 _This is how B horror movies start_ , she shuddered involuntarily.

Reminding herself that she wasn't currently a normal, weak, teenage girl, she continued surveying the area until stores began closing down for the night. Stopping on a roof across from the hotel, she was reminded that right around that time, Adrien would be calling her. Except, this time she had good reason to not show up and he would know since he would have seen her be absent in class. Alya would have probably told him that she wasn't feeling too good as well.

Debating on whether she should risk dropping her transformation for a call that may or may not come, she decided to go ahead and do it. The akuma wouldn't be looking for Marinette on a roof, and this one didn't seem to be in any kind of hurry to draw out or track down the heroes. She should be okay.

"Tikki, spots off," her clothes had just materialized when her phone started ringing. _Right on time_ , she smiled at the caller ID. "Hello, Adrien," she answered cheerfully before remembering she should make an effort to sound at least a little sick. Enough that she couldn't leave her room, if nothing else.

"Hey, Marinette, I was calling to see if you were feeling better."

"Um, well, a little better. I should be fine by tomorrow," she stumbled to find an answer. "I - I'm sorry I missed your birthday, but I asked my parents to take you my gift."

"Yeah, Chloé told me," he explained before clearing his throat. "Anyways, I was wondering - I mean, if you don't mind - if it would be okay if I dropped by tomorrow. To see how you're doing. Or hang out. Or whatever. . ."

Marinette was pretty sure her brain had just shut off. That point keeper that was keeping tally marks for Chat Noir? Yeah, they just got kicked out of her brain. It wasn't exactly a declaration of intent, but, dear lord, may she be struck down if she said she didn't want to dance around in happiness!

"Marinette?"

Oh right, she had to actually speak at some point.

"That would be great! I mean, drop by whenever you like," she smiled so widely her cheeks started hurting. It was amazing what could happen with just thirty extra seconds of speaking time! And she -

 _Huh_. Marinette blinked curiously. This was the longest conversation she'd managed to have with Adrien. At this point, Blackheart would have attacked, or she would have noticed it spying like last time. But, a quick look around proved, the akuma was nowhere to be found. She must have been able to escape the apartment unnoticed, and since this time it didn't know Marinette and Ladybug were the same person, it had no reason to chase her down when, presumably, she would appear when he attacked a _totally not actually Ladybug_ random civilian.

It wouldn't be at the hotel, because it wasn't just stalking the area and choosing random prey. It was after _Marinette_ , that's why it was at her home the last time, because _she_ was there. And if it didn't see her leave and transform, then it would assume that she was still in her room. And. . . _darn it_.

She spun in the direction of the bakery, "The akuma."

"Akuma?" Adrien's voice sounded panicked, but she couldn't afford to be held back like last time.

"I'll have to call you back," she hung up despite his protests. "Tikki, spots on!"

Her balcony was on the _street_. Ladybug looked at the disaster zone that was her home and took a moment to be grateful she had convinced her parents to go on their planned date. Then she let anger fill her because her _balcony_ was on the _street!_ The fact that she could fix that with the Miraculous Cure didn't really matter. It was the principle of the thing, and honestly, she couldn't wait to purify this akuma so she could find out what the heck she had done to piss it off so badly.

She could hear the dulcet tones of the music box playing upon stepping into the ruined room, "Isn't it a bit rude to enter a girl's room without permission?"

Blackheart turned to face her in its unnaturally fluid way and cocked its head curiously the way it usually did. Its hooded eyes still caused something to unsettle within her in a way no other akuma had ever managed, and for a moment she worried it _did_ know who she was.

Then it spoke, "I do have permission."

Ladybug felt her brows furrow in confusion. She was certain that she had never given blanket permission for anybody to walk into her room whenever they pleased. Except for Alya, who wasn't the akuma because she had been in the room twice while Marinette was being murdered. Oh, and technically Chat Noir. Who was also the only person she had interacted with that day aside from her parents.

But obviously it wasn't Chat Noir! She had heard his voice while being attacked, hadn't she? She hadn't actually _seen_ him, but she was sure she heard him! Besides, she hadn't done anything to anger him. Except accidentally teasing him, but it wasn't something worth being akumatized for. And they were friends! He wouldn't want to kill Marinette. He was too nice! And there were no gifts! He wasn't even tall enough to be Blackheart!

She wasn't _really_ considering the idea that her partner and her murderer were the same person. It was just a bit of a coincidence and there was the whole all black ensemble thing and nobody could fault her for making the connection. Honestly!

"Ladybug!" Chat Noir landed beside her.

"Oh, thank god," she sighed, her shoulders slumping in relief. "I mean, it's great to see you, Chat Noir!"

"Where's Marinette?" he snapped, usual boyish charm missing as he twirled his baton angrily while glaring at the akuma.

"Um, safe," Ladybug cleared her throat. "She's a smart girl. She got out and found me for help."

Chat narrowed his eyes but didn't so much as look at her, " _Where?_ "

"I'm not telling you that in front of the angry sword-wielding akuma that wants to kill her!"

Ladybug rolled her eyes and pulled out her yo-yo, but before she could even begin to think of a plan, Chat lunged, meeting the akuma's sword with his baton.

"Oh, come on!" This was not the time for his impetuousness! It was very, very important to her that they finish this as quickly as possible. _Is it too early to use Lucky Charm?_ Ladybug bit her lower lip, staring at the two dark figures that were all but ignoring her while further trashing her room.

Maybe she wouldn't even need a Lucky Charm, as long as Chat kept the akuma busy. There wasn't much on its person, nothing that was obviously the akumatized object. It had its swords - maybe the second that it never seemed to use was the object. Maybe it never used it because it needed to be better protected. Or maybe it was because Marinette had never managed to put up much of a fight. Besides, it probably wasn't easy to walk around the city with two swords; Darkblade and Riposte at least had reasons for their blades. She was pretty sure she would have noticed such a person following her.

Its outfit wasn't anything special - practically mundane by akuma standards. Simple black robes from head to toe. No pins or buttons or ribbons that could be considered significant. There wasn't anything else, except for the music box, but akumas didn't leave their akumatized objects lying around for their victims to pick up. There was nothing out of the ordinary. Except the hood. It could be the hood. It _must_ be the hood!

Ladybug lunged, aiming high at the same time Blackheart swung low and pulled the hood off as she swept by. And promptly heard Chat Noir choke on air. She turned to look at the akuma and felt sick to her stomach at the sight of its bloody, burned skin. It's face wasn't a whole face, an entire layer of skin seemed to be missing, and what was left over its skull was glistening with blood and exposed ligaments.

She couldn't decide what was worse: that this was its true horrifying akuma form, or that perhaps it wasn't completely. That maybe some poor, injured soul was angry at her and she couldn't even be bothered to realize why.

Then Blackheart roared at her in fury. She thought it might turn its blade on her, but instead it turned to run out through the hole that had been her wall.

"Don't you dare," she pulled on the hood until she heard a rip.

And nothing. No purple butterfly floated out of the tattered remains, and the akuma continued on its merry way as she just stared dumbly.

Ladybug sighed tiredly. Now she had to go hunt down the akuma and hope she could resolve everything before her parents got home. She didn't want to explain why a murderous akuma was after her. Especially since she wasn't sure why.

"Where's Marinette?" Chat Noir asked again, body still tense for a fight.

"I told you she's safe," Ladybug insisted. He crossed his arms and tapped his foot impatiently. "Oh, fine! I'll go get her. Just stay here, it's still not totally safe for her."

She huffed angrily to make her displeasure known and swung over to an alley across the street. Once she was sure Chat had actually listened and stayed put, she dropped her transformation. Tikki landed on her cupped palms and giggled, "He sure is worried about you!"

Marinette blushed, "Oh, hush you!" Of course he was worried, they were friends! There was no reason for her stupid heart to be doing somersaults.

She took comfort in the fact that she wasn't wearing her Chat Noir pajamas anymore and slowly made her way out of the alley towards the bakery. Peeking carefully around the corner, she breathed a sigh of relief when she didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Blackheart was probably far away being chided by Hawk Moth for failing at nabbing the miraculouses and planning his next attack. Marinette would take a backseat to the usual goal of defeating the heroes of Paris.

"Marinette!" She jumped a little at Chat Noir's happy shout.

He was still up in her room, probably expecting Ladybug to drop her off instead of just releasing her into the night, and she waved shyly up at him. He jumped down to the street level and she felt her heart flutter a little at the smile of relief and pure joy he gave her.

 _Friends. We're friends,_ she reminded herself. He was happy his friend hadn't died, that was normal. She forced her suddenly weak legs to continue across the street, until she heard a loud whooshing sound. She turned her head in time to see something vaguely the shape of a park bench flying in her direction.

In retrospect, being crushed to death was probably the most painless death. It was over so quick she hadn't been able to do much other than choke on a scream.

* * *

"Today's the big - eek!" Tikki shrieked in surprise as her chosen shot out of bed and ran down the steps of her loft. Marinette seemed to be in a sort of daze, mumbling nonsense to herself as she pulled a bag out of her closet, and stuffing random articles of clothing into it. "Marinette?"

"Not now," the teenager grumbled. She looked around for a moment and then grabbed a small novelty bat from her shelf and stuffed it into the bag.

Tikki frowned thoughtfully, "Are you okay?"

"No, I'm not! This is, what, the sixth time I die now? I didn't so much as leave my room last time and the akuma still came to get me. Not this time, Tikki! This time I'm not going to be around to be killed," she babbled as if the kwami had any idea what she was talking about.

"Excuse me?"

Marinette sighed, "Look at my soul, Tikki."

* * *

Marinette was halfway out the door before she remembered she couldn't just leave. Blackheart or no Blackheart, Luminescence was still there to be dealt with. Coincidentally, her maman was halfway up the steps at the same moment she reached her epiphany.

Sabine gave her daughter an unimpressed stare, "I don't want to know. Come down if you're going to make that cupcake." Then she turned right around and went back to preparing the bakery.

Marinette frowned and let her duffel bag fall to the floor. She wasn't so strange that apparently running away from home first thing in the morning was totally usual, was she?

"Fine, I'll make Adrien's cupcake, go to school, defeat Luminescence, ask my parents to take the gift to the party, and _then_ leave the city," she decided. And, maybe, she would stick around school long enough to see Chat Noir. But only because the last thing she heard was the beginning of a gut-wrenching scream.

And she kind of felt bad about thinking he was Blackheart for like point-five seconds there.

Things went by as she expected them to, the first half of her day almost set in stone. There was the groundskeeper with his unnecessarily sharp tool. There was Hoverboard Kid breaking his self-imposed isolation to greet her. There was Alya teasing her about it even though Marinette didn't offer much more than a token protest at this point. And there was Adrien thinking it was _good_ that somebody was interested in her.

Marinette felt her eye twitch in frustration, but decided to let it go. It didn't matter at that moment. First she needed to survive, and then she could take her time convincing Adrien that it would be much better if _he_ liked her.

Her resolve lasted until Chat Noir landed in front of her and her traitorous heart started doing that warm, shifting thing. His smile wasn't half as bright as the one he gave her when he thought they'd saved her from the akuma, and she winced as she imagined how terrible he would feel if he failed to save a close friend, out of all people.

"Well, hello there, Princess! You're looking - hey!"

Marinette had turned from him and begun walking away before he could finish his sentence. He was fine. That was good. Now she had to go back home and prepare to leave.

"Hey, wait," she was stopped by a grip on her hand. He let go and raised his hands in surrender when she spun to face him. "Did I do something wrong?"

Marinette frowned and looked down, "No."

It was quite the opposite, actually. He was doing everything right to make her feel appreciated as Marinette. Even standing up to Ladybug just to see for himself that she was safe. Alya's teasing was getting to her, and she needed to nip that in the bud.

 _Divine oath!_ she reminded herself. It was not the time to be doubting her feelings.

"Then are you okay?"

 _Ugh, no!_ "Yes," she insisted, still looking down. She probably shouldn't have been surprised when he gently lifted her chin up so that she would look him in the eye, considering how often he had done it, but her breath still caught in her throat.

"Are you sure?"

Would he believe her if she told him about the akuma? If she wasn't Ladybug and didn't have Tikki to confirm that there was something strange going on with her soul, she would have figured something was going on by now by herself. She would have come to the conclusion that she was reliving the day over and over on her own, and she would have tried to tell someone, especially Chat Noir, about it. It was the fact that she _was_ Ladybug, and her gut instinct was to insist that she knew she wasn't just having a crazy lucid dream because Tikki had confirmed it that kept her from saying anything. She might slip up and reveal herself to him.

That, and the fact that she couldn't prove anything because nothing worth noting happened at this moment no matter how many times she relived it.

Other than Chat Noir treating an apparently random schoolgirl with a tender sort of care, of course.

"Yes," she grabbed his hand and moved it away from her. It took her half a second too long to let go, though. "I have to go."

She didn't bother going to class. Instead, she went back home and waited.

* * *

The cheapest train that could take her furthest away left a little before five in the afternoon and would take her to Lille. She still had to shell out fifty-nine Euros, but she supposed that was a small price to pay for survival. The trip took a little more than an hour, and she was glad that the sun was still out when she finally stepped off.

Marinette wasn't sure what she was meant to do for the next sixteen hours or so, wasn't even sure if she had enough on her to rent a room for the night. Lille wasn't exactly a cultural hub, even though the tourism website insisted it was just as glamorous as any of the other metropolises of Europe, but she was sure she could find some way to lose time amongst all the little stores and coffee shops.

The people were friendly enough, and no one seemed to mind the half-lost sort of wandering she was doing. By the time the sun set, she had forgotten why she was in another city in the first place, too busy taking pictures of the Flemish architecture and browsing through the textile shops. She almost forgot it was Adrien's birthday.

She was sitting on a bench just beside a small overpass, nibbling on a soft pretzel, when her phone blared its usual call of _Fire!_

Marinette winced and decided she would change the ringtone once she got home tomorrow. Her stomach twisted unpleasantly when she saw Adrien's name on her screen. That akuma would pay for making her associate the sweetest boy in the world with existential dread!

"Hey, Marinette! I was just wondering where you were. I thought you'd be at the party before I got here."

Yeah, she didn't think this part through. She swallowed heavily and then brushed loose crumbs off the front of her jacket as if he could see her. Sitting up straight, she cleared her throat, "Oh, actually, I. . . I won't be going to the party tonight."

"What? Why?"

Did he really have to sound so distraught about it?

"I, well, I. . ." What could she say? That she was sick? She hadn't given any indication of it in class. That she was grounded? She would have definitely texted Alya to complain long ago. Unable to think, she found herself saying the truth, "I'm in Lille."

"The city?" Adrien's voice was disbelieving.

Marinette smacked her forehead, "Yeah, that would be what I meant."

There was a moment of silence in which she was sure he was wracking his brain trying to figure out what he had done to cause her to flee the city just to avoid his party. "Why would you be there?"

Well, as long as she was going with honesty! "There's an akuma trying to kill me. Actually, it _has_ killed me. At least six times! I've tried everything to stop it, but if not even Ladybug and Chat Noir can save me, I figured the best thing I can do is just leave the city entirely. And, don't worry, it literally doesn't care about anything other than killing me, not even getting the miraculouses, so no one has to worry about it attacking any time soon!"

Another beat of silence, "What?"

Marinette sighed and rose from the bench, "I know it sounds weird, or like I'm going insane, but I swear that this akuma is making me relive this day just so it can kill me in increasingly violent ways."

Tikki insisted that the akuma wasn't time-traveling with her, but it almost seemed like it was learning to enjoy murdering her more. The first few times had been _stab-stab, you're dead_. Now, it threw her like a rag doll, it broke her bones, it destroyed her room like it was tearing her apart in effigy.

"No, I - I believe you," Adrien insisted. "But why wouldn't you stay here where we could help you?"

"I've died at the party already," she admitted. "Twice. I've died in your arms. If this - if it was ever going to be the last time, I don't want any of you to have to see that."

"Marinette," he pleaded. "Please, get on a train and come back to Paris. Or I'll send my driver to go get you, he can be there in two hours. We won't let anything happen to you, I promise. I can even get Chat Noir himself to protect you!"

"You tried that once," she paced from one side to the other. She appreciated his concern, really she did, but it was frustrating that not even a fresh set of eyes could help her find a solution.

"If you don't come here, then I'll go to you," he persisted.

"Don't you dare! It's your birthday!" Almost unconsciously, her legs began moving towards the city, to the train station.

"I will! Marinette, I -"

"Oh my god," she interrupted, jumping back from the mouth of the overpass and pressing her back against the wall. Her heart threatened to escape through her mouth. Her mind blanked for a moment as she tried to process what she had seen in the darkness.

"What? What's wrong?"

She could barely breathe, "It's here. It's here. How is it here?"

"Get out of there right now," he somehow sounded as afraid as she felt.

As quietly as she could, she turned back the way she came, more than willing to go the long way around if that meant avoiding Blackheart. Of course, it couldn't be that simple. Of course, if she had managed to see an all black figure in darkness, it was because it wanted to be seen. Because it had seen her first.

Marinette shrieked as her legs were pulled out from under her. She was flipped onto her back and she had a moment to look into those terrible, hooded eyes before it began dragging her towards the dark mouth of the overpass. Instinct made her twist her leg until she managed to free it from its grip. When Blackheart turned to look at her, to regain its grip on her leg again, she aimed a kick right between its eyes, remembering how well a hit from her phone had done in that area.

Just like back then, the akuma reared back as if in pain, though it made no sound, and she took the chance to rise to her feet. She ran back towards the light, towards the people, towards safety. Until she felt a tight grip on the back of her jacket, halting her just a half-step from freedom. Another meaty hand landed on the side of her head, the immense size making her fear it wanted to snap her neck. Instead, it slammed her head against the brick and mortar wall of the overpass.

Marinette heard a loud cracking sound and felt a sort of wave go through her body. Her legs spasmed, and the grip on her phone hardened, but she fell boneless to the ground. Landing on her back, she could see lights atop the bridge, could hear friendly voices just out of sight. If she just cried out for help, someone would come!

But, try as she might, she couldn't move her jaw. Couldn't make anything more than a pitiful wheezing noise.

Blackheart grabbed her legs again and dragged her unimpeded into the darkness. When it seemed to be pleased that they would not be disturbed it dropped her legs and turned from her. She could hear something cranking just before the _Für Elise_ began twinkling through the darkness. She couldn't so much as move her eyes, but her head had lolled to the side, and that was why she was able to see the music box it placed beside her head.

It was strange. It was so much like the one she'd had as a child. She hadn't thought about it since she broke it and Maman threw it away when she was four, before she had even transferred to the école where she met Nino and Rose and the others. Marinette had been upset when Maman threw it away. The ballerina's beheading had been such a clean break that it wouldn't have even been noticeable if they just superglued it back on, but she had just thrown it straight into the dumpster. The big one outside where the bakery's garbage went. She knew Marinette detested it so much she wouldn't have gone looking even for her beloved music box.

If she thought hard enough, she could remember holding the pink and gold ornament, could see her reflection on the keys. The day she had gotten it, she had been surrounded by flowers, dahlias if she wasn't mistaken. They were getting chopped up. Trimmed down, was the proper term, she recalled. With those stupid gardening shears. She'd always hated the way people used gardening shears to kill such pretty things just because somebody decided they weren't pretty _enough_ for them.

Just like they were doing to her right now. Blackheart had finally pulled out its second blade, she could feel one on each side of her neck, and knew that any moment now he would snip her head off the way they had destroyed those dahlias.

"Marinette! Talk to me!"

 _At least this time he can't hear me scream_ , she thought dazedly.

But, of course, the universe wasn't content with that.

"There is no more Marinette," the akuma declared loud enough to be heard over the phone. The last thing she heard was a gut wrenching scream.

* * *

 **A/N:** This is the longest chapter! But so much plot relevant stuff happened here. I honestly have no idea how long this fic is going to be, but it's probably not going to be that long considering how quickly things are moving along.

 **Have you ever played Metal Gear Rising?** Do you know how Sundowner has those twin blades that can combine into scissors for no damn reason? That's essentially what Blackheart has going on, though this one is shaped to look like antique gardening shears.

 **Funfact:** Blackheart is an archaic term meaning a dishonest, manipulative person, that is almost incapable of feeling genuine emotions. In modern times, it is used to describe a series of diseases in plants that cause an unnatural darkening of the stem. Obviously, I meant the people one, but both technically apply considering the outfit and skin.

 **Dahlias** mean dignity and elegance, as well as being a symbol of commitment and a bond that lasts forever.

Also, not so fun fact, I actually saw a girl get her head smashed against a pipe and just go all catatonic like that with her eyes wide open during a fight when I was like seven and I've been traumatized by it ever since. She was, fortunately, just fine moments later, but like, that's probably the most realistic scene I've written for this fic. Public schools, man!

I actually wasn't trying to do that whole get chapter titles from songs thing again, but it's working so well! This chapter's title comes from **Pompeii by Bastille.** And the song Marinette is listening to when Chat Noir visited her room was **Ddu-Du Ddu-Du by BLACKPINK**. And I don't know what they mean by that either.

Please review and let me know what you liked, didn't like, and what could use improvement!

~Destiny's Sweet Melody


	5. Let The Water Overflow

**A/N:** There's some more hints as to what's going on in this chapter! I feel like we're probably not going to make it to 10 chapters, which is probably a good thing!

Guys! **Somebody figured it out!** I can't say who, because I don't want you all to spoil yourselves by checking the reviews, but I'm so thrilled! It means I'm doing a decent job at writing a mystery, because mysteries are only good if at least some readers can figure it out and feel vindicated when the big reveal comes. Now I know I'm actually laying down clues and not just pulling things out of my ass lmao. I will **give them the recognition they deserve** in the final chapter, **as well as a shout out** to people who have picked up on _some_ things but not the whole picture.

And, also, there's actually _one_ little thing that's yet to be discovered!

 **To CeceTheFandomQue:** Yeah, the human body's weird lol.

 **To may p:** Thank you for reviewing! I love the in depth analysis, keep it up!

 **To Other:** Thank you for reviewing! I'm so glad you like the story! :)

 **To Guest:** Thank you! I'm trying my best to get back to updating weekly, these past two months have just been really rough.

 **To Matt:** I can neither confirm nor deny that lol, but I love the guess.

 **To ARMY101:** Funny you should mention _promises_. That's going to be important.

 **Warnings:** Drowning; I feel a bit weird warning for specific deaths, but I realize that drowning, especially in the sadistic way it's done, might be a bit triggering for some people. So yeah.

* * *

 **Escape The Day**

 **Ch. 5: Let The Water Overflow**

"Are you okay?" Adrien asked as she handed over the cupcake with shaking hands.

Marinette blinked lethargically. She was so _tired_. It felt to her like she had been awake for an entire week, but, technically, she had only been up and moving for about two hours. She didn't think anybody could physically see her exhaustion, since her body had gotten used to pulling all-nighter's long ago, but she couldn't be sure. She sort of felt like she was running a fever. Miserably, she mused that at least that would be _different_.

Wait, hadn't Adrien asked something?

As usual, Alya tried to come to her rescue, and smiled deviously, "Oh, she's just dazed because the school's most interesting bachelor greeted her today!"

That was true. Even though she had been moving on autopilot since she woke up, and hadn't done much more than glance in Hoverboard Kid's direction, he had taken the time to wave. Which was strange, because he never greeted anyone and she had thought it was because she had been so full of energy the first time that her good mood was infectious. And this proved that he greeted her because he wanted to even though they had never interacted before.

 _And_ now she was wondering if maybe _he_ was Blackheart. Killers had a habit of approaching their victims before they killed them, didn't they? They were sadistic like that. In the movies, the main girl was always stalked by the killer before they attacked! Maybe he waved at her as some sort of signal that he was going to hunt her down and kill her that only he would understand.

No, wait, that's not how akumas work. You couldn't _plan_ to be akumatized, even if you did want to kill somebody. Hawk Moth wasn't that generous, you would have to find your own costume and hunt down your victim yourself.

Unless he was friends with Hawk Moth somehow. Did Hawk Moth have friends? Was that a thing that was possible?

"You know he has a diet, right?" Chloé screeched her nonsensical defense of Gabriel's parenting choices.

Marinette did her best to tune the resulting conversation out. She could recite it by memory now, and honestly there were more important things to worry about. Namely, whether Hoverboard Kid was friends with a supervillain. Maybe that's how he got away with gliding around on his little device throughout the school.

Alya slinging her arm around her shoulders brought Marinette back into the moment in time to hear Adrien say, "Of course, I can't imagine my life without Marinette in it."

Her heart constricted at the sincerity in his voice. At the fact that she _knew_ just how sincere he was being. The way he had screamed when Blackheart had announced her doom - which was a totally unnecessary, jerk move - was imprinted on her mind. He would genuinely be distraught by her death. She would be delighted if she hadn't needed to literally die for that bit of knowledge.

"Hey, where are you going?" Alya called when she slipped from under her grip and began marching towards the door.

"Bathroom," she replied distractedly. It seemed like as good an idea as any. Honestly, she'd rather go back home and hide in her bed, but that hadn't worked out the last time. Leaving the city hadn't worked out for her either.

Being with her friends, being alone, trying to track the akuma down, running away. Nothing was working! Maybe she was just doomed. Maybe the only release she would enjoy was when the akuma finally got bored and let her stay dead. She shuddered at the idea even as a part of her wondered whether it would actually be such a bad thing.

"Don't worry, Marinette," Tikki soothed once they were sequestered in a stall. "I'm sure you'll figure this out!"

She forced herself to nod in agreement. She couldn't let herself give in to despair. _What if that's what Blackheart actually wants?_ Instead of wanting her to learn some lesson about whatever wrong she had supposedly done them, maybe they wanted her to give up. To give in. To look at them and thank them for the gift of oblivion.

How many times had she died already? Seven, was it? How many more times could she go through that before she couldn't take it anymore?

It was different than all the times she had gotten bruised and battered by akumas. The times she lost her courage or her faith in her ability to save everyone. Death made everything different, and not just because she would regret all the things she would never be able to do. She understood that her death would cause a ripple effect, not the least of which was the fact that Ladybug wouldn't be around to purify the akuma or any other that came after it. That if she made a single misstep and Hawk Moth found out who she was, then he would have gotten one pair of the miraculous that he had been fighting for.

That she'd leave Chat Noir all alone.

Marinette groaned in frustration and leaned her forehead against the stall's wall. Her skin felt feverish against the cool metal. Why was she thinking about him now? Weren't there more important things to be thinking of? Like, not wondering if she maybe had a crush on Chat Noir when she was cosmically bound to confess her love for Adrien.

The universe was really lining up against her today.

* * *

Ladybug actually yawned in the middle of battle. And it wasn't so much as the soul-time travelling exhaustion as it was the fact that Luminescence was boring. She was certainly one of the weakest akumas Hawk Moth had sent in about a year. And she was nothing compared to the one that would follow her.

There was also the fact that Ladybug knew exactly what the akuma was going to do before she even thought of it. She summoned her Lucky Charm - a ladybug-patterned blindfold - simply because she needed it to perform the Miraculous Cure, but all she had to do to defeat Luminescence was trip her with her yo-yo and break the hairpin on her head.

"Wow, that was really impressive," Chat Noir grinned at her.

"Yeah, they're almost predictable now," she replied drolly before shaking her head. Ladybug wasn't supposed to be snarky and pessimistic, Marinette could do all the moping later. Right now, she had to find a place to hide before her miraculous timed out. "Anyway, there's something I have to do right -"

Wait, she was Ladybug. So, she could theoretically get away with telling him about her predicament without revealing who she was. He seemed to believe Ladybug was leagues ahead of him when it came to discovering new powers, so he might believe her if she said she had the ability to scan souls, what with being bonded to a god of creation and all.

If Adrien could believe her without a shred of proof, why shouldn't Chat Noir believe her with some mystical excuse backing up her words?

"Actually, there's something you can help me with," she smiled at him. Superpowered back-up would be great, even if it would be a little tricky slipping away from him to transform. He took any job Ladybug gave him very seriously, and he seemed genuinely invested in keeping Marinette alive, so he would surely be keeping a close eye on her. But it was better than the alternative. "You remember Marinette?"

Chat Noir straightened suddenly and she was almost certain she could see a blush peeking out from under his mask, "Mari - Marinette? Yes, of course, why?"

"She seems to be having some trouble with an akuma. Or will be, technically. This is going to sound a little out there, but I assure you that I've thoroughly investigated her story, and it checks out," she hurried to defend herself.

It didn't seem to matter, "An akuma? She _will be_ having trouble with an akuma? What does that mean?"

"That's the hard to believe part," she braced herself. "It seems the akuma is forcing her to relive the same day over after it. . . er, kills her. . ."

There was a moment of silence as he just stared at her, and she wondered if not even his faith in Ladybug could let him believe in such a outlandish idea, even by akuma standards. Then, suddenly, he turned and leapt off the building they were standing on.

That. . . was not the reaction she was expecting.

She sighed heavily before sneaking back into the school building to drop her transformation. Marinette stomped her way out to the courtyard where Alya always was following the fight with Luminescence. She was going to give Chat Noir a piece of her mind when she saw him during his little break between akuma fighting and his Not Chat Noir Stuff, whatever that was.

 _If_ she saw him during his break. Maybe he'd avoid her because he thought she was crazy. Maybe he thought she was so crazy that she rubbed the crazy off on Ladybug. Why else would he just leave without a word? She already knew he wasn't in so much of a hurry he couldn't stop to flirt with his sort-of friend.

Huffing angrily, she crossed her arms over her chest as she strode out the main doors and down the steps, almost blind in her righteous indignation. Which was why she didn't notice the black-clad figure until they wrapped their arms around her and lifted her off the ground. Marinette squealed in fright, and kicked out blindly. Panic clawed at her throat as she realized her arms were trapped in their crossed position between their bodies.

Until she comprehended that, other than squeezing a bit too tight, they weren't actually _hurting_ her. It was a hug, she realized, and relaxed enough to recognize who it was doing the hugging.

"Chat Noir?"

He let her down so that her feet touched the ground, but didn't move his arms from her waist. She was starting to feel a little overheated again, but for a reason that was not entirely connected to the soul-time travel thing.

"Why didn't you tell me you were in trouble?" was his greeting.

Oh, so he _did_ believe Ladybug! Of course he did. There was no reason to doubt the superheroine when she hadn't been wrong before. "I, well, I wasn't exactly sure I could convince you unless I had someone like Ladybug to back me up."

"Don't be ridiculous! I'd help you anytime you ask," he insisted earnestly.

 _And_ she really should be backing away from him. There was really no reason they had to be having this conversation pressed together with his arms around her. In public. With Alya standing right there with her trusty phone.

"Is there something I should know about?" the blogger asked curiously.

"Not now," Marinette hissed, unwilling to break eye contact with Chat Noir. Because reasons. Frowning, she stepped back and out of his grip, "You have something to do now, and I have to get to class. It happens tonight, so that's when I need your help."

"What happens tonight?" Alya insisted, but was readily ignored.

Chat Noir nodded determinedly, "I'll be wherever you need me."

"Where are you going? Wait, are you not going to the party?"

Oh right, the party! Adrien's birthday. His gift. The genuine disappointment in his voice every time she tells him she won't be going. Marinette winced, "I don't think that's such a good idea."

Alya's jaw dropped open, but Chat Noir was the one that spoke, "Maybe you should. Safety in numbers and all that. It'd be easier to sneak you out unnoticed and I'll be there to watch over you."

Marinette began to protest that she had already tried the safety in numbers technique and it had failed, before stopping herself. All her little plans had failed. Nothing new was working, so why not try something again but now with an extra set of eyes? It's not like she had much choice except to try.

She nodded slowly, "Okay."

"Wait," Alya cried. "What do you need safety from?"

* * *

Alya hadn't stopped glaring at her since lunch ended. Marinette did her best to ignore the daggers her best friend was shooting at her.

"I can't _believe_ you kept something like this to yourself," Alya forced past gritted teeth as the school day ended.

She actually _could_ convince her classmates that she was reliving the same day - or, at least, that she was psychic - so she couldn't use the same 'I wasn't sure you would believe me' excuse. Bracing, she admitted, "It's not like you could do much to help."

Alya couldn't even become Rena Rouge without Ladybug handing over the miraculous, and she was sure that if she went to Master Fu for help he would insist that she needed to stand on her own two feet, and the other miraculouses were there to protect Paris, not her, and blady-blah-blah.

The blogger huffed and crossed her arms, "I could help you hide. I could keep an eye on you. I could provide a distraction."

"That's the problem," Marinette insisted. She didn't doubt that Alya would try to protect her from an akuma. She had already done so before. Heck, her entire class had fought to protect her from La Befana. But Blackheart was different. He wasn't going around transforming people into his loyal subjects. He was murdering them. Or, one specific person. She was sure once he was done with her, he would turn around and do the exact same thing to the next unsuspecting person. "No one's gotten hurt yet while I'm. . . _you know_. And I'd rather keep it that way. Ladybug and Chat Noir are superheroes, so they can't really help being in danger, but if anything ever happened to you I'd never forgive myself. Especially if it was to protect me."

Alya deflated instantly, "Yeah? Well, if anything ever happened to you while I could prevent it, I'd never forgive myself either."

Marinette felt a smile form on her lips, "Well, you don't have to worry, I've got two whole superheroes working to keep me safe!"

"About that, is there any reason you looked so comfortable all pressed up against Chat Noir?"

She squeaked, her face filling with heat, "It's been a really weird couple of. . . _day_." That didn't sound right; her brow furrowed. "Oh, you know what I mean!"

"Must be a hell of a day," Alya snickered.

Marinette almost welcomed the teasing, "You have no idea."

"Tell me," she insisted. "From the top."

* * *

Alya refused to be parted from her, no matter how many times Marinette insisted that she would be fine. Blackheart never attacked before eight in the evening. Besides, she didn't want to worry her parents too much when there was nothing they could do and they still had work to take care of. Alya watching her like a hawk was sure to arouse their suspicion.

They eventually reached a compromise when Marinette agreed to gather her things and join Alya at her house until evening. It wouldn't be strange at all for Marinette to go get all trussed up at her best friend's house. Her parents left to the hotel with bright smiles on their faces and the request the girls send them pictures once they were ready.

"How do you do that?" Alya asked curiously as they set off to her apartment.

"Do what?" Marinette was genuinely confused. She couldn't think of anything particularly unbelievable that she had done recently. Done _to her_ , sure. But she doubted that's what Alya meant.

"Pretend that everything's okay," the blogger blurted out, gesticulating wildly. "How can you just smile at your parents and say 'see you tomorrow' if you know you're going to be attacked by an akuma?"

 _Practice_ , she thought wryly. She genuinely wasn't the best liar around, and she was an even worse actress, but the one thing being Ladybug had given her was the ability to pretend all was right with the world even as she felt like she was falling apart internally. Fake it till you make it had been one of her guiding principles as a superhero.

"I don't know," she shrugged easily. "Just normal teenager talent, I guess. Do you tell your parents everything?"

"Guess not." Alya conceded, before muttering mutinously, "But I've never been murdered repeatedly before."

"Lucky you," Marinette hummed, grateful when they reached the Césaire household and they were forced to put any talk of time travel or murders on hold.

Alya's mother was the one that ended up taking them to the hotel. Marinette was glad for the ride over, even as she kept glancing around, especially at the skyline, for any suspicious movement. She'd hate for either Césaire woman to be caught in the crossfire of Blackheart's attack.

It surprised her that the large akuma could hide so easily. She was never able to see them until they wanted her to, until it was too late. Usually, she ended up hearing them first. She was never going to be able to listen to _Für Elise_ without having a minor freakout ever again.

As the car slowed to a stop, Marinette took comfort from the fact that the akuma seemed to work on a schedule, and there were still two hours to go. Quickly, she slipped her cell phone out and set an alarm clock again. It hadn't actually _helped_ the last time she did it, but at least she would have a heads up. Besides, it would let her know exactly at what time she should cozy up to Chat Noir.

Well, not cozy up, exactly. But certainly stick close to him just in case Blackheart tried to ambush her like the first time she made it to the party. It was for her safety! It wasn't a big deal. It certainly wasn't because she was hoping he would hold her close like he had earlier.

Marinette huffed tiredly and tightened her grip on Adrien's gift. She still had to confess to him, didn't she? Because she had decided that she needed divine incentive to get her past her insecurities and finally confess. Even though she didn't really believe she had a chance with him, she'd be grateful to finally get her feelings off her chest. If nothing else, she'd receive closure and could move on with her life.

That was why she had agreed to Tikki's suggestion. But now. . .

Was the oath still binding if what she was compelled to confess not strictly true?

 _You're the only person I've ever truly loved._ That had been true yesterday - seven resurrections ago - or, at least, she thought it had been. She'd liked people before and after she met Adrien. And she could even confess, in the quiet of her own mind, that she had always found Chat Noir charming in his own way. She just hadn't ever really considered him because what she felt for Adrien was so strong, and Chat could occasionally slip into a pushy, childish state that reminded her why coworkers should never date. Especially not when they had to save the world together.

But he had gotten better about it as the years wore on. He no longer pouted or pushed when she turned him down. He didn't bring up any grievances he might have towards her in the middle of an akuma battle. He pulled back considerably on the flirting and romantic gestures. He had matured, a bit, without her even noticing. So she hadn't had time to really appreciate it.

He was still playful and flirty, of course. The way he dealt with her as Marinette was proof enough of that. For some reason, it was easier to accept his flattery as her civilian self. Perhaps it was simply because without him knowing she was the person he was constantly declaring his love for, she could honestly try to be his friend. She didn't have to worry about hurting him or letting him down easy or whether he would get the wrong idea if she smiled at him for too long; she could just tease him and joke with him like a real friend would.

Not that she got much chances to do so.

Marinette might end up in akuma battles more often than should be considered normal, and she got targeted by akumas more often than she felt was fair, but that was hardly conducive to genuine friendship. Chat Noir saved her, deposited her somewhere safe, made a joke, and then left. That was the extent of their relationship.

Sometimes, rarely, she would happen to be on her balcony while he ran around the city like a loon and he would smile and wave at her. Even more rarely - so rare she could count the occasions on her fingers - he would sit on her balcony and talk. Always about something so serious he would drown if he didn't talk about it with someone and, for some reason, he had chosen her to be that someone. Once, a few months back, he had gone so far as to knock on her skylight because he wanted to talk and she wasn't on her balcony.

It wasn't much. But, apparently, it was enough for him to be willing to help her any time she asked, to stand up to Ladybug to see with his own eyes that she was safe, to scream like the world was ending when she died right in front of him.

And it was enough to make her doubt her belief that she had never seriously considered him as a potential boyfriend. There had to be some part of her - buried deep enough within her that she ignored it completely - that was attracted to him. Because it wasn't just the fact that he was being nice and protective, or repeated exposure to him due to the loop, that was causing her to doubt her feelings now.

If she was honest with herself - which, apparently, was a problem when it came to Chat Noir - it was probably their rare talks that began her attraction to him. He was cute, sure, but it had always taken more than a pretty face to make her heart flutter. He was strong and brave, but his immaturity and recklessness which inevitably caused her trouble annoyed her enough that she overlooked his better qualities. And though Ladybug occasionally stuck around long enough for them to talk, he usually took the opportunity to try to woo her, or tried to act larger than life.

But when he spoke to Marinette he was. . . normal. He was just a boy with fears and hopes and worries. A little sad, yes, but with an almost unparalleled ability to hope. Learning about who he was as a person, despite not being able to know _who_ he was, made her look a little more warmly at her partner.

She couldn't remember when the last time she had a deep, personal conversation with Adrien was.

She couldn't remember if she ever had such a conversation with him before.

 _Tonight is going to be awkward_ , she though morosely. If both of them were going to be in the same room, if she had to confess to Adrien or risk dying anyway, if Chat Noir heard her do so. . . would he care? Was there a chance that maybe the reason he had cooled the flirting with Ladybug but not with Marinette was that their conversations meant something to him, too? Would he be hurt if after everything with their weird little friendship she decided that she liked someone else more than him just like Ladybug?

Should she care?

Marinette bounced on her toes beside Alya in the elevator. She was going to have to find a moment to speak with Tikki and see if there was any way out of a divine oath.

* * *

She didn't have to worry. Upon stepping out of the elevator, she had come face to face with Adrien. Unable to help herself, she had cried, "What are you doing here?"

And then she sort of hoped Blackheart would attack at right that moment. Because, honestly, she had just asked _the birthday boy_ what he was doing at his own party. "I mean, you're not supposed to be here this early. Or, I thought, you wouldn't. . ."

Marinette took a moment to wonder what butterfly she had stepped on to cause this sort of chain reaction. What had she done that made Adrien show up at least an hour earlier than he had any other time she had lived through this day? Then she realized that the butterfly was probably standing right next to her. _Of course_ Alya would tell Nino and Adrien about what was going on. She had probably sent them a text before lunch was even done!

"I'm sorry," she said miserably while offering him his gift. "Happy birthday."

He had barely grabbed it before she walked around him and made for one of the tables set up. It wasn't until she sank into the chair that she realized Chat Noir was nowhere to be found. Ignoring the twinge of disappointment, she reasoned that he would be by later. She already knew he had something to do that day, and she had told him that it always happened at a specific time, so maybe he decided to finish up whatever he had to do before he headed over.

It was unreasonable to expect him to actually drop everything to help her. Especially not when she herself insisted that it wasn't necessary. There was no reason to feel betrayed.

She still spent all her time sitting in her seat with her arms crossed angrily over her chest.

Distantly, she was aware she should be enjoying the extra time she had with her friends. She could maybe use the opportunity to confess to Adrien just to get out of her oath. She could be checking the perimeter, because there was no reason she should rely on Chat Noir's protection completely. She could be doing literally anything other than pouting angrily at the fact that Chat Noir wasn't with her because wasn't his childishly ignoring danger due to hurt feelings the thing she complained the most about as Ladybug?

Okay, so maybe she should have been a bit more understanding about it over the years, but she still stood by her opinion! It _was_ a dumb thing to do. But the more time passed, and she realized her partner wasn't there, the more ticked off she became.

Glancing at her phone, she blanched as she realized that it was almost eight. The grip on her phone became tighter as a quick look around revealed that there was no one except for her friends in the room.

Her breath came in short, quick bursts as the reality of the situation became clear. She was in a room, several stories off the ground, surrounded by unarmed civilians. There was no one to help her, no place to transform, and she had already died twice in this room.

Thinking quickly, desperately, she sent a _Where are you_ text to Chat Noir. She couldn't accept that he had just not shown up. He wouldn't lie to Marinette, and he wouldn't disobey Ladybug. What if something happened? What if he was patrolling the area and was ambushed by Blackheart? What if he was hurt, alone and unable to contact Ladybug for help because she was fuming quietly at a party? What if he was -

The chair screeched noisily as she stood in a rush, but she doubted anybody heard it over the pounding music. Hurried steps took her towards the elevator.

She was being cowardly, wasn't she? Hiding out with her friends while her partner did all the work. Even if she needed to be Marinette to act as bait, she could still stay away from the dozen innocent civilians that didn't need to be caught in the middle of her drama. Or horribly traumatized by her death. The clock was ticking down, and if she had to save herself, then that's exactly what she planned to do.

The fact that her nerves were so wound she couldn't see straight didn't change that.

The doors to the elevator were almost closed when an arm poked through to stop them. Marinette shrieked and smacked at them with her purse, not really caring that it was a normal sized human arm.

"Ow," Adrien rubbed at the spot she had hit as he slipped into the elevator. Great, now she had also hit the birthday boy! A reset to the day would probably be too much of a gift for her at this point. "Where are you going?"

"I - I just," she pulled her cell phone out again and felt panicked tears fill her eyes as time kept passing. "I need to go!"

"Go where?"

Right now, she just desperately wanted to get out of this elevator. She felt claustrophobic, like a fish in a slow moving barrel that was just waiting to get stabbed. And now here was Adrien, sweet, defenseless Adrien, stuck in the world's easiest target with her.

"I know Alya must have told you. So, just, _away_ ," she mumbled, only half-coherent. "It's nice that you came by earlier, but I don't want to put you in even more danger."

"Earlier?" Adrien asked confusedly, before his eyes widened in understanding. "Do I not usually arrive at the party at this time?"

He seemed unusually nervous about the question, but she was grateful for the distraction, "No, you can't get away from whatever it is your father needed you for."

"Oh yeah, that makes sense. He was furious that I walked out on Kimiko; he really needs me to keep certain associates happy."

Marinette missed the elevator opening on the ground floor, "Excuse me?" What _exactly_ did that mean? 'Keep certain associates happy.' Obviously female associates. That only gentle and handsome Adrien could keep happy. Her fear abated as outrage clouded her mind, "Is your father pimping you out?"

He pulled back, startled by the emotion in her voice, "No, of course not! It's just that _sometimes_ I have a kind of calming effect on people. All I ever do is sit there. Well, sometimes, I talk, and well, there was that one time. . . you know, it doesn't really matter."

"Doesn't matter?" It felt like she was choking on her rage. His father had interrupted his birthday to use him as an odalisque and he didn't think it was a big deal! She would have said more, but then her alarm rang.

Marinette's mind stuttered for a moment as it tried to decide which emotion it wanted to focus on. Fear won out, and she slipped through the closing doors of the elevator, ignoring Adrien's pleas that she wait.

She ran out of the hotel, not quite sure what her plan was. A quick glance at her phone revealed that Chat Noir hadn't responded to her text, and she ignored the panicking voice that insisted she had gotten her partner killed. Her right foot tapped impatiently, eager to take some action. There wasn't much time left, Blackheart would attack at any moment, and she had nowhere to hide and no way to outrun him.

 _But,_ her eyes zeroed in on Adrien's driver standing beside his parked car just down the street, _Running's not the only option._

Marinette was sort of glad that his large, intimidating size meant that he never really worried about being carjacked. She managed to slip in through the unlocked driver's side door and turn the car on, the keys tucked in the visor mirror, before he even turned around.

"Sorry," she called out as she slammed down on the gas and peeled out of the parking area.

She didn't have much experience driving, but she managed. Of course, not driving much meant she didn't have any specific route in mind. _Maybe mindlessly driving around would do a better job of losing Blackheart,_ she thought hopefully.

Her phone ringing caused her to jump in her seat, jerking the steering wheel enough to the side that she almost hit the car beside her. "Sorry," she cried again as she blindly reached for her phone and placed the call on speaker.

"Marinette, where are you?"

She risked a quick glance at the screen and was almost angry to see Chat Noir's name displayed, "Around! I stole a car!"

"Why would you steal a car?"

"Because I panicked because you weren't there!" Now that she was sure he wasn't dead or even injured, she was reminded of all the times she had thought him irresponsible.

"I was there," he insisted. "I didn't want to bring you unnecessary attention, but I was watching you since you entered the hotel. I wouldn't just leave you alone."

Oh. Yeah, that did make more sense. "I'm sorry," she repeated for the third time in ten minutes. "I just got scared." She was trying her best to be as brave as she usually was against akumas, but it was difficult when she knew how good this particular akuma was at defeating her. And she was still pretty sure there was some sort of akuma power that made her freeze up involved in all this.

"It's okay," he soothed. "Just tell me where you are."

Forcing herself to take a deep breath, she looked around at her surroundings, "I have no idea."

"What direction are you driving in?"

What direction was the car facing when she stole it? Had she made any turns? Geez, how had she not hit anybody yet?

"South?" That sounded right, at least.

"Keep driving, I'll find you."

Marinette nodded, even though he couldn't see her. Then she made a slight turn and had to slam on the brakes.

"What was that?" Chat demanded.

"There's a car parked in the middle of the road," she answered. The street had narrowed significantly, and combined with the cars parked beside the sidewalks, it was practically a one-way road. And there was a still-running mid-size car blocking it. She was pressing the car horn before she could really think it through.

Then she sighed tiredly as she realized she could just reverse the car. Of course, she wasn't the best at shifting gears. Worrying noises came from the engine as she struggled to put it in reverse. A slam on the window made her scream in fright. Chat Noir's voice was a distant thing as she looked at the angry man with a buzz cut yelling at her through the closed window.

It took her a moment to realize it was the owner of the parked car, "I need you to move your car!"

It was the wrong thing to say. Nostrils flaring, he slammed on the window again, "Do you think you own the streets? Think you can push people around just because you have a fancy car?"

Marinette opened her mouth to insist she was asking nicely and it wasn't even her car, when suddenly the man disappeared. There was a thick, red liquid on the windowpane in his place. Something landed on the hood of the car with a rolling thump, and her open mouth finally released a scream when she recognized the shaved head.

Blackheart's razor sharp blade pierced the roof, the scrape of the steel drowning out whatever Chat Noir was shouting at her through the phone. Twisting on the seat, Marinette squeezed past the sword, and out the passenger side door.

There was no way the akuma hadn't seen her and she didn't stop to check if it was following her as she ran. She made it around the corner and into a courtyard when she felt a body tackle her from behind and fell face-first into a fountain.

The water burned as it invaded her nostrils, and she thrashed around uselessly as a heavy hand on her back kept her pinned to the bottom. Suddenly, she was pulled back over the water and she had enough time to take a deep breath before she was flipped over and pushed under again. Her hands scrabbled for purchase, landing on one of their gloves.

 _The gloves!_ If it wasn't the hood, then maybe it was the gloves. It was a desperate hope, but she dug her fingernails into the material anyway, and tore it away.

Her lungs burned as she was lifted from the water, high enough that she was face to face with her attacker. The hand that was exposed was the same purple-red color as the face she had once seen. Shiny like newly-burned skin, and criss-crossed by bloated veins. And it was still very much akumatized.

Water dripped from her feet onto the fountain's surface below her as she dangled in the air. It was still difficult to breathe, but she forced herself to enunciate clearly, "Why are you doing this?"

"You promised," Blackheart responded in that same unemotional, unrecognizable voice.

That was even more confusing than the gift thing! "What - what did I -"

"Marinette!"

Her head snapped up at the voice, and she felt a smile form on her face despite herself. "Chat!" It almost felt like everything would be okay. And then she felt Blackheart's sword go right through her spine and out between her ribs. The grip on her disappeared and she fell limply back into the water, sinking all the way to the bottom.

She couldn't move again! Even if she somehow made it out of the water, she wouldn't be able to transform. She wouldn't be any help to anyone.

It quickly became too hard to hold her breath. Bubbles rose in the darkening water, and she shut her eyes. As if that would somehow delay the inevitable. A grip on her shoulder made her give up her fight against the water. Her mouth opened in a muffled scream, afraid of what else Blackheart might have planned for her.

But when she could finally breathe again, she felt herself be pulled against a body, a clawed hand landing on her cheek, "You're going to be fine, right?"

She almost laughed. His voice was so small and uncertain, as if he was the one that needed reassurances and empty promises. As if he was the one that got stabbed. "Yeah," she found herself saying. If the day reset itself, then technically she would be.

He hiccupped suddenly and buried his face in her hair, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have hid. I should have stayed by your side and damned the consequences."

 _I should have known you wouldn't abandon me_. She had let fear overrule her common sense. Whatever he might feel for her, whether friendship or something more, she knew that he took his job as a superhero very seriously. He might joke and make light of dire situations, but he never ignored his responsibilities.

"Next time, then," she offered as comfort. For the first time, she was truly grateful for the hellish loop. Especially when Chat Noir nodded almost desperately against her.

He still had a death grip on her, which made it all the more jarring when he was suddenly ripped away from her. Blackheart filled her vision the instant before she sank beneath the blood-filled water. Unable to see, her mind went haywire as she wondered what would happen if Blackheart turned his attention to Chat Noir.

Would he stop resurrecting Marinette if he decided to focus on the superhero instead? Would there be no next time? Would she remember if the day reset but Chat was the new target? Would he even reset the whole day or just from this moment on?

Then the sword sliced through the water.

* * *

"Today's the big day, Marinette!"

Marinette snapped her eyes open, never so happy to hear the screeching of her digital clock, and then felt her lungs tighten as the phantom sensation of water filling them reached her conscious mind. Sitting up boltright, she had enough time to lean over the edge of her bed before vomiting phlegm and bile.

"Marinette?" Tikki asked worriedly as her chosen curled in on herself and began to cry.

* * *

 **A/N:** I meant to fit two loops in this chapter, but then this got long. My usual chapters are only about 3k, so this fic is an anomaly for me.

So, Gabriel's not _actually_ pimping Adrien out. **He literally just has him sit there and look pretty** , which sounds like something he would do in canon, tbh. But, it's still generally creepy and kind of a jerk move to pull on his birthday.

I sort of hate omniscient 3rd person POV, but **there are things I regret not being able to include** due to being limited to Marinette's POV. Such as Adrien freaking out when she leaves after he declares he can't live without her because he thinks it was _a bit much_ and it weirded her out. Also, Adrien freaking out when he realizes if she lived through the day before she'd notice if he did something different and he can't really give a reason why without revealing himself. _Also,_ also Adrien watching her like a hawk from a distance, not even blinking, and Nino just being like "Dude, please just go talk to her, this is getting creepy."

But like, I hate sudden POV shifts in omniscient third person, so now I'm stuck not being able to include that.

As always, let me know what you liked, didn't like, and what could use improvement!

~ Destiny's Sweet Melody


	6. Set Everything On Fire

**A/N:** There's some actual Ladrien! This is a milestone for me, guys! It's technically all sides of the Love Square, but only Adrien knows that part. Because, you'll see!

I try to update on Wednesdays, but I figured a day late would be better than three weeks late. I know it must seem like I'm just making up excuses by now, but I kid you not, I have been working EVERY DAY for the past two weeks! Today is my ONLY day off. Tomorrow, I work again for five straight days, and then I have a week off. So, hopefully, I can write the next chapter then. I actually have half of the next chapter done because it was going to be part of this one but it got too long.

Anyway, please forgive my terrible update schedule, I hate it more than you do.

 **To Guest:** Adrien/Chat's going to be pulled more directly into the plot soon as she realizes she cannot do this alone, but the reason I decided to stick with Marinette's POV was because of the focus on the loops and having him start from zero every chapter would be even more repetitive than the chapters already are. I'm glad you like it as it is! :)

 **To CeceTheFandomQue:** Does this mean you're suspecting the oath as being responsible?

 **To Karine:** Thank you for reviewing! I'm glad you like the fic so far. I can neither confirm nor deny that, but I like the guess.

 **To Anna Banana:** Oh my gosh! Thank you so much! Thanks for reviewing and I'm glad you like the fic.

 **To StormyPrince13:** Thank you for the passion in your review!

* * *

 **Escape The Day**

 **Ch. 6: Set Everything On Fire**

Marinette felt herself sway dangerously on her feet and forced her knees to lock. It had not been the best of days, even setting aside the fact that it was her ninth time living it. She had stopped crying long enough to get Tikki up to date with everything that had been happening to her, including a play by play of each of her deaths. She had managed to explain everything that had happened last time - how she'd let her fear get the better of her and left Chat Noir's protection because she had convinced herself he didn't care - until she got to the car. To the man that was beheaded just because she couldn't shift the gear into reverse. The way his blood had coated the driver's side window, heavy and sticky and dark, and how his head had landed facing her on the hood, mouth open in surprise and eyes still wide in horror.

Then she'd had to leap out of bed. She'd barely made it to the sink before she threw up what little was left in her stomach.

Which reminded her she had to clean up the mess beneath her loft. And she had to do it quickly and quietly enough that her parents didn't notice. Her maman had still mentioned she seemed a little pale when she trudged down to make Adrien's cupcake, which meant she had to argue that she was feeling just fine. Her parents were reluctant to believe her because _of course_ Marinette would stubbornly force her way through an illness so she wouldn't miss Adrien's birthday. And that made her feel all sorts of twisted up inside because she wasn't doing a very good job of being in love with Adrien recently.

The desperate sort of way Chat Noir had held her in that fountain did all kinds of things to make her lose her center of gravity.

It had been a terrible, terrible day. But, at least, she was almost halfway done with it. Marinette pressed the heel of her palm against the center of her forehead, her other hand fanning air to her overheated skin. She wasn't exactly sure why she was feeling physically sick all of a sudden, when nothing else had changed overall, but she wasn't an expert on time travel. That being said, Tikki couldn't tell her why either.

"Are you okay?" Adrien's concerned voice forced her to open her eyes.

Alya and Nino were looking at her worriedly as well, and she forced herself to smile, "Yeah, just tired. I was up pretty late last night."

"Are you sure, girl?" Alya frowned at her.

Marinette _could_ technically tell them what was happening. Maybe, if she actually let them help, they would hold her down when she tried to run from safety because she was scared. Would that actually help her survive? She wasn't sure, but it was better than being alone. And yet. . .

The blood-coated window popped into her mind.

She had told Alya last time that she was grateful no one had died while she was being attacked. Well, no one except herself, but she always got better so it didn't really count. She had thought it was because Blackheart had the same sort of tunnel vision that Marinette had when she was designing. It took something pretty major to distract her. And the akuma had seemed much the same way, ignoring even the miraculouses in favor of finding a park bench to throw at Marinette.

But then it killed that man, for no real reason. It could have opened the passenger side door to get to her. It had proven that its swords were more than capable of piercing the roof and skewering her like a shish kabob. It could have revealed itself and let the man run away of his own free will.

Instead it had chosen to kill him, because he was there, because he was in the way. Maybe, if the akuma had been spying on her while she walked with Alya, because it knew it would upset her.

Blackheart could kill someone to get to Marinette and Ladybug wouldn't be able to bring them back. The only way to make things right would be to let herself be killed.

Marinette forced herself to appear cheerful, "Totally! You know I'm not great at time management. I was so busy that before I knew it, it was already three in the morning!"

Nino was the only one that seemed to be totally convinced, nodding with a knowing smile. Alya squinted at her, as if she could read her lies on her skin. And Adrien seemed reluctant to get into his car, despite all but rushing into it to do his father's bidding all the other times.

Marinette felt herself frown. Knowing what Gabriel wanted Adrien to do, when he promised he wouldn't force him to work at all that day, made the same righteous fury she had felt in that elevator awaken again. Even if Adrien himself insisted it wasn't anything nefarious - just sit there and _relax_ others - she was sure it was still pretty sketchy.

She had half a mind to tell the others what was going on. She was pretty sure she could get the class to kidnap him so that he wouldn't have to go anywhere but the party. But that was a surefire way to make Gabriel never let any of them within a hundred meters of his son.

And, of course, she would have to admit _how_ she knew which would lead to an entirely different can of worms being opened.

"I'll see you all at the party," Adrien said, finally slipping through the open car door.

Marinette bit her lip so she wouldn't say something she wasn't supposed to know and waved.

* * *

Luminescence got in a lucky hit because the world had tilted dangerously at the same time Ladybug reached for the akumatized hairpin and she was pretty sure it was the most embarrassing thing that had happened to her in a year!

"Marinette?" Tikki questioned, her head tilted curiously as she watched her fuming chosen.

She was still standing in the supply closet that she had chosen to drop her transformation.

"I think it's getting worse," she reached out an arm to lean on a shelf. It was literally an arm's length away and she somehow managed to miss it three times. "Do you think it's getting worse?"

Tikki narrowed her eyes at her, before sighing, "Well, I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be comparing. Your soul certainly looks different since yesterday, but I can't be sure it's changed between loops."

Marinette sighed tiredly, "Can't I just stay in here for the rest of the day?"

"You've already tried avoiding everybody and it didn't work. Besides, you have the party to go to tonight," the kwami reminded her sagely. Then she clasped her hands together and looked up at her chosen with a much too innocent look, "Besides, aren't you supposed to be talking to Chat Noir right about now?"

Marinette choked on air, her already feverish skin somehow managing to heat up more due to her blush, "Don't give me that! You don't get to tease me when you're going to kill me if I don't confess to Adrien."

The kwami humphed, " _I'm_ not going to kill you. The universe will."

"Oh, that's so much better."

"There are consequences to your actions, Marinette, let this be a lesson to look before you leap."

"If I looked before I leaped, I wouldn't be Ladybug," she argued. Even if the deciding factor had been saving Alya, she was pretty sure sane people didn't sign up for this kind of thing. "Besides, this _thing_ with Chat Noir is just like a phase or something. My brain's kind of scrambled because of the multiple death experiences! It won't matter in the morning."

If she made it through the day, if she survived Blackheart, if she confessed to Adrien, then she would surely forget about her tiny, miniscule, barely there crush on Chat Noir. Even if Adrien rejected her, she wouldn't be ready to try with someone new so soon. There was no point in thinking about Chat Noir now, when she knew she would get over it soon enough.

She still found herself opening the door, anyway.

Her skin crawled as a quiet zooming noise approached. Hoverboard Kid didn't so much as look twice at her this time, despite raising a fist in greeting this morning, but Marinette still felt unnerved.

"I'm watching you," she declared boldly before dashing away in the opposite direction. Towards the courtyard where Alya was always waiting. Where Chat Noir always seemed to find her. Except, she took so long in the supply closet she couldn't be sure if he would stick around, considering that he wasn't friends with anybody else in school. As far as she knew. Which was why it was quite the surprise to see him posturing before a gleeful Alya.

Marinette tripped over her feet, but managed to right herself before she faceplanted. Her fists clenched and her lips pulled back in a snarl even as she insisted in her mind that she was _not jealous, not jealous, not jealous!_

It wasn't until she wrapped her hand around her purse, preparing to throw it at his head the way she had thrown her alarm clock against the wall, that she came back to herself. And remembered that Tikki was in there and would probably not appreciate being used as a projectile.

"Oh, hey, Marinette," Alya called cheerfully, but Marinette ignored her as she marched angrily at the masked hero.

"Don't you have anything better to do than flirt with girls?"

Chat Noir blinked confusedly at her, obviously blindsided by her anger, "I -"

"You know she has a boyfriend, don't you?" Nino had been dragged along by Alya to enough akuma attacks that, even if Chat had never spoken to either of them the way he did Marinette, he would _know_.

Of course, that had never stopped him from flexing for Alya's camera before. He had also kissed her hand in greeting the first time he met Rena Rouge, even though she had always thought that was a Ladybug exclusive thing. And that one time with her as Marinette, but that was beside the point. The fact that he didn't know Alya was Rena was also beside the point, because what if that meant he was attracted to her? _Both_ versions of her!

Marinette got the goofy friend, but Alya got the flirt in both forms. That wasn't fair and _he was not allowed to like Alya more than her!_

Her anger rose straight to her head and she placed the heel of her palm against her forehead as she felt a little lightheaded. Her knees buckled again, and this time she couldn't force them to lock. She could feel herself falling for a moment, until she was pulled against a firm chest.

Chat Noir grinned toothily at her, "What's the matter? Do I make you weak in the knees?"

"Not funny," she grumbled as she focused on getting her legs steady. "And stop flirting with me if you don't mean it."

He seemed surprised as she pulled away, but then he smiled and grabbed her hand, "So, what you're saying is I should definitely flirt with you if I mean it?"

"What - what are you -?" she choked on her tongue when he pulled her back against him, one arm wrapping around her waist as he brought her hand to his lips.

"What would you do if I meant it?"

Was he serious? He. . . certainly seemed serious. He refused to break eye contact with her, and even though he was still smiling, it wasn't his playful, goofy grin. It was small and soft and honest.

"I think I might faint," she gasped, breath coming in heaves, and she was pretty sure that, this time at least, it wasn't due to their proximity. Her head landed on his clavicle as she suddenly felt like she was being burned from the inside out. _Your soul looks like it's on fire._ Was that what was happening? Was her soul trying to burn its way out of her body?

"Wait, seriously?" Panic colored Chat Noir's voice as he gripped her shoulders and pushed her back so that he could get a better look at her. "Should I take you to the hospital or something?"

Apparently, she looked as bad as she felt.

Marinette frowned, and shook her head forcefully, "I'm fine. I have to. . ."

Do something. There was something important she had to do, but she couldn't quite remember it. Class? No, it was lunch time, that's why Chat Noir was there. She secretly thought it was unfair that he got to goof around and flirt with girls he had no genuine interest in while she had to keep going through the motions as if she wasn't marked for death.

Why couldn't she do that?

 _Oh, wait._

"I have to go," she asserted and then, quite proud of herself, managed to walk upright off school grounds.

* * *

Ladybug didn't actually have to break into any locales. She was the beloved icon of truth and justice and nothing more than a please and thank you would open any door in Paris. More or less.

Gabriel Agreste had never been the biggest fan of Paris' superheroes. It wasn't that he disliked them, he just didn't show them any favor. Granted, he didn't really show anybody any real favor, not even his son. But, that was neither here nor there. Except, _technically_ , it was a super important detail, because if he _did_ treat his son kindly, she wouldn't be doing what she's doing.

Gabriel Agreste would never open his iron gates for Ladybug, but fortunately, she happened to know that Adrien kept at least one of his windows unlocked at all times. Because of completely non-stalkery reasons. She only knew because she overheard Nino chiding Adrien about how dangerous that was. The blond only argued that nothing short of an akuma could get past all of his father's security measures, and a locked window wouldn't stop one.

Which, fair enough.

It couldn't stop a superhero either, apparently.

She was steadier on her feet while transformed, but she still had a headache and the world had a bit of a glossy sheen that she was pretty sure hadn't been there that morning. Everything was kind of distant as she marched right into Gabriel Agreste's office. There was a beautiful, Japanese twenty-something year old sitting across from the man's desk. And beside her, stuck halfway in a sitting position as if he was about to take a seat when his celebrity crush slammed the door open, was Adrien.

Ladybug grinned and walked right over to grab him by the wrist, shouting something about "official superhero business" over her shoulder as she led him out of the room. Shock was probably the only reason they made it out of the mansion unmolested.

It wasn't the _best_ plan she'd ever had. It wasn't a plan at all. It was simply an impulse born from her displeasure at her situation, her distaste towards Gabriel's business tactics, and her anger towards stupid, flirty Chat Noir.

"Um, Ladybug? It's not that I mind -"

He _should_ mind, she thought angrily. Why should anyone, even a superhero, be allowed to just drag him away from whatever he was doing without complaint? Despite knowing that she was saving him from a miserable situation, _he_ didn't know she knew that, so he should be at least a little upset!

"But, why did you kidnap me?"

Ladybug halted in her steps, suddenly aware of how strange it must look for her to be dragging a famous supermodel along the streets. There were already more than a few phones pointed in their direction and she didn't want to know what Hawk Moth would do if some tabloid decided she was his girlfriend like they did with her civilian self when they were younger.

"It's not kidnapping," she insisted, pulling him closer to her and wrapping her arm around him. She was pretty sure she heard him squeak and couldn't help but snort at the sound. "Just a moment, please."

Taking out her yo-yo, she hurriedly lifted them up and swung a few blocks away to a random roof. She probably should have thought of the yo-yo earlier, but the world still had that glossy hue and she was too busy being proud of herself for not tripping over her feet to think clearly.

She cleared her throat dramatically after releasing him, "To answer your question: a friend of a friend told me it was your birthday, and since she's probably going to miss your party, she asked me to drop in and surprise you." She raised her arms with a flourish, "Surprise!"

"Surprise?"

"And happy birthday!"

Adrien smiled uncertainly, "You came to see me because a friend of a friend asked you to?"

Ladybug shrugged, "Well, you're very dear to my friend's friend, and my friend is very dear to me, and I think your friend is very dear to my friend, though I can't be sure, but I think he'd be happy if I make her happy. So, everybody's happy and all I have to do is spend some time with you!"

Adrien only stared at her, probably trying to untangle the jumble of her words. She hadn't spazzed out in front of him as Ladybug in years, and now she was acting like she was thirteen again. She was going to blame that on the headache.

"She said you had a crush on me," she stated in a last ditch effort and was rewarded with his cheeks filling with crimson. It was absolutely adorable! "It's okay, everybody has a crush on me."

Adrien's entire face turned red.

* * *

Ladybug took him out for ice cream, somehow stumbling upon André the ice cream man, who appeared genuinely apologetic when the cones he gave them didn't match. She insisted it was for the best since they were just there as friends and hurried the blond away before the ice cream man could burst into tears like he seemed ready to.

Adrien's ice cream was black and blue and pink and she couldn't help but run a mental tally for who that might be. She was pretty sure it wasn't Kagami, since the fencer favored red over any other color. And apparently it wasn't Ladybug either, she noted with a pang of sadness; if there was any color associated with her, it would be red as well. The wild thought that maybe Alix with her pink hair was Adrien's soulmate crossed her mind, but she dismissed it since Alix had always found Adrien bland and boring.

Ladybug's was green and yellow and black. And, okay, she was starting to come to terms with her feelings for Chat. It wasn't particularly easy, with her longtime crush sitting beside her. Especially since Adrien kept casting partly curious, partly suspicious glances at her cone. The color combination didn't leave much to the imagination and she wondered if he was trying to screw up the courage to ask if she was finally dating her partner.

Maybe he'd try to grab a scoop for Alya. He was nice like that.

"Can I ask who the friend of a friend is?"

"Uh," would she have asked to keep it a secret? Well, no, since she had already said she asked because she might not make it to the party. When he saw that there was no Marinette, it wouldn't be hard to put the pieces together. Of course, if everything worked out and she made it to the party with a respectable amount of time left, then maybe it _would_ have been a secret. Would it be better to leave it a mystery because his enjoyment was what mattered or to let him know she cared enough that she wanted to give him something special even if she couldn't be there?

Then again, he did seem concerned for her health earlier, and would probably believe she felt too ill to go to his party no matter how much she wanted to go.

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng."

Adrien squeezed the cone hard enough that it crumbled into nothing, the ice cream seeping through his fingers. He ignored Ladybug's concerns, "Marinette's not going to my party?"

 _Oh no_ , hearing it in person was worse than hearing it over the phone! There was a pout and sad eyes and she wasn't built to deal with a sad Adrien!

"Uh, well, she's sick, you know? I mean, not deathly ill or anything. Except, maybe a little. I mean, that came out wrong!" The world was starting to tilt again, and she forced herself to breathe deeply and focus on her surroundings. "She just doesn't want to go in case she's contagious."

"But," he began, before bowing his head to stare at the ground morosely. "I wouldn't mind if she got me sick. I just wanted her to be there."

Ladybug felt her heart flutter before her eyes were drawn back to the half an ice cream cone in her hand. _Right_ , she reminded herself that he wanted all of his friends there. There wasn't anything special about Marinette. And, apparently, Marinette wasn't all that great at loving him anyway.

She forced herself to finish her snack in three bites, and then turned back to him, "So what else do you want to do?"

* * *

He wanted to watch the sun set from the Eiffel Tower, of all things. She offered to take him to the movies, or to more food vendors, or even use her special superhero all access pass to get him into any place he wanted. But he wanted her company to watch the sun set. That there were still several hours before sunset didn't seem to bother him.

They passed the time playing games on his phone and talking about inane things. He was surprisingly careful to not ask anything too invasive. Which was a welcome change after handling Alya as both a journalist _and_ as Rena Rouge for years.

It was, perhaps not too shockingly, all Ladybug's fault that they started treading too closely to her secret identity. She couldn't resist trying to gauge if she ever had a half-decent chance with him, and it had gotten easier to speak with him as Ladybug as she grew more and more confident in her role as a hero.

As sunset began and they sat on the platform, she couldn't help but ask, "How's the love life? Got anybody special in your life? Anybody you like?"

"Other than you?" he teased. At least, she thought he was teasing. His shy smile seemed sincere, but that may just be the whole _celebrity_ crush thing. Even famous people had people they admired. Then, suddenly, he frowned, "I guess not. I mean, I _have_ liked people, but. . . I tried dating my friend Kagami once, and she was willing to date me, but we just never synced up, I guess."

It felt like somebody had thrown a bucket of cold water on her head. Was he _really_ still thinking about Kagami? She thought he was the one that had chosen not to pursue her! Why was he sounding so regretful?

"What about you?" he interrupted her mental ramblings, obviously eager to get the attention off himself.

Ladybug opened her mouth but found she couldn't make any words come out. Blushing, she turned back to face the sun, "You'll laugh."

"Why would I laugh?"

"Because you're you!" It felt like the most obvious thing in the world to her. "Because you're handsome and charming and the person you wanted to date wanted to date you. It must be nice to have somebody reciprocate your feelings."

"Wait," the confusion in his voice made her turn back to him. He looked as if she had just given him a particularly difficult physics equation, "Are you trying to say somebody rejected _you_?"

She blushed more, swinging her legs over the edge to distract herself, "Not exactly. I never found the courage to confess because I. . . am not like you. I don't have the guarantee that if I confess they won't rip my heart out."

"I'm not like that either," he offered quietly. "There _is_ somebody that I like now. And she's incredible; she's vibrant and headstrong and kind and. . . I don't think she'd like somebody as bland as me."

Wait. Bland? _Did_ he have a crush on Alix? She wasn't entirely sure how she felt about that.

"You're not bland! I mean, I'm sure you're not bland," she stumbled over her words. That pounding headache was coming back, and her tongue loosened itself further. "Besides, I'm sure it wouldn't take you any time at all to win over anybody you like. Not like me. I can barely talk to my crush, and now that I've decided to finally confess, my heart's decided that it likes my partner better."

Adrien choked on air. Why did everybody keep doing that? Oh right, she just said -

"You like Chat Noir?"

"Keep your voice down," she chided, her hands coming up to cup her burning cheeks. How could her blush keep deepening exponentially? "I told you you'd laugh!"

"But - but - you always said -"

"I know! It's complicated, okay?" She didn't need anybody's judgment right now. Especially not Adrien's. It was all his fault for never so much as giving her a second glance! "He started visiting me without knowing it was me - my civilian self, I mean - and we started talking. And I've sort gotten to know him better in the past few months than I have since I became Ladybug, and I just sort of. . ."

The pain in her head reached a crescendo, a stabbing twinge appearing in the center of her forehead alongside a wave of heat, and she pressed the heel of her palm against it while her other hand fanned her face.

"Marinette?" Adrien's voice was barely a whisper, but it still cracked like thunder in Ladybug's brain.

When she turned to look at him, he looked pale as if he had just seen a ghost, eyes wide and unblinking. She had half a second to wonder what gave her away before she realized she still had her hand pressed against her forehead.

"Oh, come on! The headache is what gave me away?"

"Marinette?" he repeated weakly, and oh boy, he looked like he was about to faint.

"Would it make you feel better if I said I'm not Marinette?" She offered him a tentative smile but he shook his head resolutely. Well, that was progress. "Can you not tell anyone?" He nodded automatically. "Can you speak?"

He opened his mouth but all that came out was a weird croaking sound before he shut it again. He seemed to take a moment to consider his words before peeking curiously at her, "You like Chat Noir?"

That's what he chose to focus on?

She sighed, defeated, "I. . . yeah, I do, but I'm not sure he likes me."

"What do you mean you're not sure?" Adrien exploded. "He's been telling you he likes you for three years!"

"Well, yeah, but he likes the me that I can manage to be for like thirty minutes during an emergency. Not the me that I am for the other twenty-three hours and thirty minutes of the day. Well, not twenty-three hours, because I can't be as much of a klutz while I sleep. Except, I _have_ been told I kick in my sleep, so actually, yeah, twenty-three hours and thirty minutes of messiness. He _knows_ that me, and," her shoulders slumped. "Do you know what he usually comes to talk to me about?"

He pursed his lips and shook his head.

"How much he loves Ladybug. How pathetic is that? Falling for someone because of the way they love somebody else."

"But you _are_ the somebody else," he argued quietly.

"But I'm also more. I didn't like him until I saw the more there was to him. What he's like during quiet moments, when he's not trying to constantly win love or approval, when he's just being a friend. I like who he is when he's not just Chat Noir. Why can't he like me for who I am when I'm not Ladybug?"

"But I - I'm sure he does. You said he goes to talk to you, do you think he would do that with just anyone?"

She had wondered that before. His visits were so rare, despite how weary he always seemed when he finally dropped by, that she wondered if he had others that he talked to, and she was just one stop in a circuit of faux therapists. But then, one night, she had been woken to the sound of knocking on her skylight and she had dragged herself out of bed because she was nothing if not a good friend.

Chat had talked for what felt like hours, and even though she tried to listen to his every word, she found herself nodding off. At some point, she must have fallen asleep, because she was jolted awake by him playfully pinching her cheek. Even as he apologized and told her she could go back to bed, she insisted she was fine and swore she wouldn't move until he was done talking. And he had smiled at her and said, "What would I do without you?"

And that was it. She didn't realize that was it right then, of course. It wasn't a great a-ha moment like with Adrien in the rain. What she _did_ realize was that all it had taken was six words to have her rearranging all her life plans so that she never need leave the city of Paris because it was suddenly unacceptable for Chat Noir to ever find out what he would do without her. She should have known what that meant, but, well, she had never claimed to be perfect.

"You should tell him," Adrien suddenly declared, determination gleaming in his eyes. "As Marinette, if that's important to you, I'm sure he'd be thrilled."

Ladybug smiled sadly at him. So she really never had a chance with him, huh? Despite everything she had just said about falling for Chat Noir, she couldn't help but feel like someone was taking aim at her heart. She'd loved Adrien for so long, and here he was, tossing her into somebody else's arms.

"Maybe someday," she conceded before rising to her feet. "Right now I have to go use myself as bait and hope I can transform quick enough that I don't get skewered by an akuma."

"Wait, what?"

 _Why did I say that?_ She had never gotten drunk before, had only drank one cup of alcohol once on her sixteenth birthday because the others insisted it was tradition, but she thought it might feel a little bit like this. All glossy and dreamy and free.

She only waved Adrien's concerns away and offered him a hand up, "I'll explain on the way. Now, let's get you to your party in style."

* * *

Adrien took it all comparatively well. Or, maybe, it was simply that he was in shock. But, either way, his quiet, empty-eyed acceptance of her hurried explanation about time travel and fiery souls and multiple death experiences, worked to her benefit. She was able to shuffle him into the party, offer a quick hello to her friends-slash-admirers, and escape all without him so much as making a peep.

The elevator was closing when she saw his eyes suddenly widen, as if he had just awakened from an out of body experience, but by that time she was home free.

Well, not _home_ because she didn't want Blackheart to trash her room again. The last place Marinette was seen was the school. Barring the akuma having seen her transform, it should probably seem like she had dropped off the face of the earth for a few hours. Which meant it would be hunting.

It would be looking for her in every place imaginable, and when it couldn't find her it would go to the last place she was seen; the school. So, that's where she headed as well.

"Are you sure you shouldn't have called Chat Noir?" Tikki asked curiously once Marinette dropped her transformation a few streets from campus.

She offered the kwami a cookie, "I'm sure." The disembodied head appeared in her mind's eye, "Now, eat up; you'll have to be ready to transform me at a moment's notice."

The luck god nodded and declared, "I'll be ready when you need me!"

Marinette smiled as Tikki flew into her purse, and patted the bag comfortingly. If all she had was ten seconds of warning, then she'd have to make those ten seconds work for her. _Okay,_ she breathed deeply, _I can do this._

Her legs wobbled as she walked down the sidewalk towards her lycée. There was nothing of note in the area, but at least it wasn't as creepily deserted as it was around the hotel. _But if somebody else gets hurt because of me. . ._

Marinette did her best to force down her anxiety. She couldn't be worrying about every possible scenario. She needed to focus on drawing Blackheart out and then escaping his sight long enough to transform. If she made it to the school, it would be perfect. She'd know dozens of places to hide, and the quickest ways to get there, while the akuma would get lost. Provided it wasn't a student. Like Hoverboard Kid.

She shook her head to clear it. Even other students didn't know the school's little hideaways as well as she did. She could do this. She sped her gait up a little, until she was half-jogging, and then -

She squeaked as she felt arms wrap around her waist before she was lifted into the air. Chat Noir held her bridal style as he leapt away from the area. She slapped weakly at his shoulder, "What are you doing? Put me down!"

He came to a stop, but didn't let her down. She glared at him with all the force she could muster, and he glared stubbornly back. They seemed to be a standstill, until he suddenly sighed and slowly placed her on her feet, muttering, "You're always so stubborn."

She crossed her arms angrily, "Why are you kidnapping me?"

"It's not kidnapping," his voice held a teasing lilt. "A friend of a friend told me you were in trouble."

Marinette blushed at his word choice because, "What did he tell you?"

"Just that there was an akuma after you," he circled slowly around her. "He also said I should ask you about what you talked about with him today."

She buried her face in her hands. What even was her life that Adrien was trying to play matchmaker for her with Chat Noir? The almost eager way he wanted to see her with somebody else still made it feel like somebody was trying to rip her heart out of her chest, but, she peeked between her fingers at Chat's gently smiling face, it would almost be okay if she knew Chat Noir was going to be there to catch it.

Despite that. . .

"You need to go," she asserted, forcing herself to stand straight. "I don't need your help."

"You can barely stand," he responded angrily.

That was true, she was still swaying on her feet, but that seemed to go away with only minimal concentration while she was transformed. All she needed was to stay upright long enough to find Blackheart. It would all work out.

Besides, "It's my fault. I don't know what I did, but I did something to make a person angry enough to do this to me. To kill me and revive me just so they can kill me all over again. It's my responsibility to make it right and if anything ever happened to you - to anyone - because of something I did, I'd never forgive myself."

"Marinette, it's literally my job to protect people from akumas," he reached up to cup her cheek. "If you think there's any chance I'm going to leave you alone right now, then you don't know me at all."

Oh darn, there was that dizzy feeling again. She felt her body lean towards him, and was suddenly aware of just how little effort it would take to close the gap between them, how close he was standing, how easy it would be to touch his lips with hers. And how she didn't think he would mind it. Just this once, maybe the person she wanted to date wanted to date her as well.

"I -"

There was a horrible scraping sound, and she looked down in time to see a silver streak make a neat circle around her feet just before the concrete collapsed. A black-clad hand reached up through the still falling rubble to grip her ankle tight enough she felt a crack and pull her down faster. And then there was a sharp, burning sensation piercing her from her back to her breastbone.

That all happened in half a second, it was over so quick it took her a moment to realize she had been impaled on one of Blackheart's absurdly sharp swords, and was currently being held in front of the akuma. It was only an instant, but it was enough time to look up and see Chat Noir's horrified face before she was pulled down.

Blood was rushing to her head, the arced position she was stuck in turning the world upside down. Which was impressive, considering how much of her blood was currently staining the ground. Or maybe it wasn't all her blood. This seemed to be an apartment, all the lights still on, and she couldn't see a trace of any living human within.

"You should have kept your promise," the haunting voice growled at her.

She had done something to hurt somebody, but she couldn't figure out what it was. At exactly that moment, her mind was too fuzzy to care.

 _Ten seconds,_ she thought bitterly. He couldn't even give her ten seconds.

* * *

 **A/N:** More things I regret not being able to add because I'm writing in limited POV: Adrien internally screaming throughout the entire Eiffel Tower scene because _OMG he's on a sort of date with Ladybug, and she's also Marinette, AND she likes him!_

Also, the headache wasn't the thing that tipped him off, **it was her mentioning Chat Noir going to visit/talk to her civilian form**. Since he _knows_ she's the only one Chat Noir goes to talk to, he figured it out. Luckily for his secret identity, she was doing something at that moment Adrien might have recognized and she assumed that's what it was.

And Adrien's brain would shut down for 3-5 business days upon finding out Ladybug's secret identity, especially if he's accepted the fact that he has feelings for Marinette as well at that point. Search your heart, you know it to be true!

This was the hardest chapter for me to write so far because Ladrien just does not come easy to me, since I'm not sure how to write two people just constantly blushing at each other in an entertaining way. Fortunately, in _Queen's Battle part 1_ they were actually both pretty chill around each other. Ladybug didn't even blush when she offered him a ride back to the fashion show. So, I figured, she'd probably get better at it with time!

Happy Valentine's Day (US time)! If you are reading trashy fanfic on Valentine's, you are the most valid! That's the rule! Also, it's the premiere of _Happy Death Day 2U,_ yay for funny coincidences. Haven't seen it yet, obvs, but I'm aiming for next week, hopefully it's as great as the first! But I can't believe the sequel came out before I finished what was supposed to be a short fic. _Sigh_.

This chapter's title comes from **Fire by BTS(Bangtan Boys)** , which is Marinette's ringtone in this fic.

Please review and let me know what you liked, didn't like, and what could use improvement!

~ Destiny's Sweet Melody


	7. It's Burning Up

**A/N:** Guess whose job lied about giving her a week off and instead gave her the night shift? This girl!

I swear, I'm so sorry!

 **To CeceTheFandomQue:** Thank you so much! You are far too kind :)

 **To some asshole** : The fire thing is going to be revealed next chapter. It was supposed to be in this "double" chapter (that's why they have fire in the titles), but I severely underestimate how long each loop can get. And, I can't get too specific, but one of your theories is dangerously close.

 **To KrisKrat:** Don't worry about the posts! Anonymous reviews take 2-3 days to show up on the site, but I get them immediately. Also, I love the thought you put into your theories. And, while I can neither confirm nor deny, I can say you're on the right track!

 **To StormyPrince13:** If you take the time to review, then I take the time to reply! Thank you for your kind words!

 **To Guest:** That actually _will_ come up, but basically until this time that she's willing to bring Chat Noir into the know, she couldn't really explain why she would be willing to let an akuma run rampant lol. Not to mention it would be too dangerous.

 **Thanks to everyone** still reading! And those that added this fic to their alerts and/or favorites!

* * *

 **Escape The Day**

 **Ch. 7: It's Burning Up**

Marinette glared at the loose sheet of paper before her and forced herself to focus. She tuned out Madame Delacroix's spiel about heroic journeys and character foils, she could probably recite each and every word by heart at this point, anyway. A part of her almost wished the teacher would have had a pop quiz planned on that day, because she would have been able to ace her infamous impossible tests.

Slowly, she scribbled the words _Hoverboard Kid,_ and then, after a moment's hesitation added the words _is weird_ next to them. It was probably unfair. If weirdness was the only requirement for being a suspect in a sort-of murder investigation, then Marinette would have been arrested at least a dozen times by now. But she still couldn't shake the creepiness of his sudden interest in her, today of all days.

Below his name, she added _Flower shop girl_ and _Petitioner_ before scratching them out. She already knew they weren't Blackheart, but she had decided to be thorough.

The pencil's eraser tapped against her chin as she tried to think of anyone else that might want her dead. Marinette grimaced. She honestly couldn't think of any wrongdoing she had committed recently. It wasn't like she believed herself to be without fault, but there was usually some action that she could pinpoint as to why akumas came after her; even if she found them to be totally unfair reasons. But not today. She did things differently every time - or as differently as she could without raising alarm - but the end result was the same.

Blackheart being furious enough to kill her, and then sending her back in time to do it all over again.

It made the list potentially endless. Alya, Nino, Adrien, and Chat Noir were all out because she had seen them while she was being attacked at least once. She remembered hearing Kim and Chloé's voices as well. She'd like to believe that her friends wouldn't want to kill her, but it wouldn't be the first time one of their akumatized versions tried to attack her.

Still, she couldn't think of any reason why they would be angry with her. It was easier to add names like _Tessie_ and _Fleur_ for no reason other than _they're mean._

Her head still hurt and occasionally throbbed. She felt overheated and her throat was dry like when she ran a fever. Her parents had expressly forbade her from getting anywhere near their kitchen and the only reason she had a cupcake to give Adrien was because her maman was kind enough to make one specially for the occasion. Marinette made sure to mention that she hadn't made it herself so that he wouldn't worry about germs, given that she was swaying on her feet when she handed it over.

He had smiled and said he was glad she had brought him anything at all. Then he asked her if she would still be going to the party that night, even as Alya expressed her concern. She remembered him telling Ladybug he wouldn't mind her being contagious as long as she went to his party, and wished she could trick herself into thinking that meant he cared about her more than normal.

But, she knew for a fact that he would try to set her up with anyone she expressed interest in. Which wasn't exactly what someone that had feelings for her would do. There was a difference between wanting the person you like to be happy, and gleefully pushing them towards someone else. Apparently, he shipped LadyNoir, and the fact that he found out she was Marinette didn't seem to change his mind. Not even the fact that she was his celebrity crush worked in her favor!

She huffed angrily and rubbed the center of her forehead. She wasn't sure if she was happy or angry that he had found out her secret identity. Three years of hard work undone because she had a bad headache! Which meant she'd have to be careful around Luminescence; if she did anything noticeable while Alya filmed it, the journalist was bound to discover it as she pored over the Ladyblog.

At least, Adrien had taken it well. . . as well as could be expected. He seemed shocked but not disillusioned. He spoke to her as he normally would, perhaps even a bit more comfortably, truth be told. And it had been nice to have someone she could vent to that wouldn't give her lectures on responsibility and fortune cookie words of wisdom. If anybody had to find out her secret identity, she was glad it was Adrien. She certainly wasn't ready to reveal her identity or newly discovered feelings to _Chat Noir._

". . . -ain-Cheng!"

Alya elbowed her in the side and she jolted out of her jumbled thoughts. She squealed in the back of her throat as she realized the entire class was looking at her. Including an angry looking Madame Delacroix.

"Sorry, she's feeling a little under the weather," Alya jumped to her defense when it became apparent Marinette wouldn't speak.

"Then maybe she should have stayed home," Madame Delacroix huffed. It was obvious she was trying to be snide, but Marinette only nodded and began gathering her things.

"Right, bye then."

The teacher's jaw dropped open before color invaded her cheeks and she demanded, "What do you think you're doing? Stop right there!"

Marinette was already halfway out the door, "Why? None of this even matters. Please tell me when knowing about the heroic journey is going to save my life?"

The room was silent yet practically vibrating with energy. Alya's jaw was open, while Nino was grinning from ear to ear. Alix gleefully whispered, "Oh my god!" And Nathanaël nodded numbly in agreement.

Marinette was very done with it all, "Life is short! We're all gonna die and I'm not going to spend what little time I have left in a class I don't even like. So, bye!"

The moment she closed the door behind her, a ruckus sliced through the class, but she ignored it in favor of stumbling down the hallway.

"I understand you're upset about everything that's going on, but that was very immature of you," Tikki chided quietly.

See? Lectures on responsibility.

"I don't feel good," she argued. The lights flickered off, and she sat down with a huff. Leaning back against the wall, she closed her eyes and tried to control her breathing. "I shouldn't have come to class."

The only reason she had was because she already knew hiding in her room wouldn't work. She got the feeling there was something about this moment, these few hours between waking up and lunch break, that was creating Blackheart. The second half of her day was the most malleable, but the first part was mostly unchanging. She was sure the answer was staring her right in the face, she just couldn't see it.

Usually, she was very good with puzzles, but she was still missing too many pieces with this one. There was a gift she received and a promise and that was all she had to go on. She hadn't received any gifts recently, not even something as small as a handmade card. And the only promise she made had been the oath to Tikki and she was fairly certain the kwami wasn't being akumatized. Other than that, she had nothing.

It seemed random, overall. And she could almost believe that it was, were it not for the akuma's insistence to come after _her_. It had chased her to another city just to get to her. It ignored Ladybug and Chat Noir because it couldn't find her. It sent her back in time and deprived Hawk Moth of his prized miraculous just so it could kill her again. The only reason for Blackheart's existence was ending Marinette's.

Curling her legs under herself, she made to get up. She knew classes would be ending soon and she wasn't in the mood to be trampled. She'd suffered enough undignified deaths already.

 _I should go back home to eat,_ she decided silently. A warm, homemade meal would probably do her good. Then she'd have to deal with Luminescence, hopefully without getting sucker punched by such a low-level akuma. _And then. . ._

She blushed as she thought of what usually came next. Then she shook her head furiously. Now was not the time to be thinking about that.

She could deal with revelations that may or may not be the result of pseudo-death experiences after she was sure she wouldn't be murdered. That same day. There was always the chance she'd be murdered by an akuma as Ladybug, but now was not the time for _that_ either. She was probably regressing, but given the fact that she was literally starting the day over and over again, she thought she had the right to ignore any earth shattering revelations until she was sure she could do anything about them.

Stumbling out through the side entrance on wobbly legs just as the bell rang, she stopped in surprise at an angry man yelling at a cyclist next to burgundy colored sports car. There was a pretty impressive dent on the driver's side door.

Marinette blinked slowly, her hazy mind taking a moment to process the situation. She hadn't really paid the accident that interrupted the class lecture much attention. Didn't stop to think what happened after the angry, immature shout. Wasn't this too much? People with fancy cars like that had insurance and people on bikes usually didn't have enough to even buy a car. Why was this guy yelling about suing and taking everything they're worth? Why was everyone so angry?

"Are you enjoying the show?" A sharp voice jolted her from her morose thoughts.

The owner of the car was now glaring at her and she took a step back before mentally berating herself. She hadn't been so afraid in years, and now it was like she was thirteen years old again. Too afraid to so much as ask for her seat back.

"Hey, back off," the cyclist puffed up angrily, bringing the man's ire back to himself. "Don't you have anything better to do than yell at kids?"

His brown eyes flicked over to Marinette, and she nodded hurriedly in appreciation before making her escape. Her stomach was twisted in knots and her head was pounding. She wasn't sure how much more of this she could take.

* * *

Hiding behind a tree, Marinette watched as Chat Noir spoke with Alya. _It's not flirting_ , she insisted stubbornly. That was just the way he was. Of course, that meant he wasn't flirting with _her_ either, but that wasn't important. Not at right that moment, at least. She'd work on figuring out whether he actually meant it when he flirted with her tomorrow, when she wasn't dead.

Right now, she had to focus on the whole not dying bit. She hadn't been able to tell him about her predicament as Ladybug because she'd been too busy not looking like she was about to keel over at the first strong gust of wind. She wasn't going to have her cover blown because of a _headache_ again!

Besides, he had been insistent that he would believe her even without some magical excuse backing up her words. It was time to see if he actually meant it.

Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to march towards her friends. She didn't really _want_ to involve any of them. Even though Chat Noir had been right, it _was_ literally his job to fight akumas and she, as Marinette, should welcome his help, she couldn't help but want to protect him. She had never really directly caused an akuma before. It felt like she was twice as responsible for defeating it than she usually was. If anybody got hurt, if anybody died and stayed dead, it would haunt her.

If Chat Noir was hurt because she did something stupid that she couldn't even remember, she was sure her heart would stop beating.

But her fever, whatever it was, was getting worse. Despite Tikki not being able to see a difference, Marinette could _feel_ it. Even now, she was struggling to remain upright. How could she expect to fight Blackheart like this?

Alya noticed her first, and the grin she was shooting Chat Noir dropped quickly, "Girl, are you okay?"

Chat Noir turned to her, his entire demeanor changing to one of shock and concern, "Marinette?"

Marinette came to a stop before him, and had to wait a moment to stop swaying. She raised a hand and began to speak. . . and promptly felt her knees give out.

"Marinette!" Panic was palpable in Chat Noir's voice as he ducked quickly to grab her before she hit the ground. He fell on his rump with an 'oof', but seemed unconcerned by the fact. He pulled her closer to himself and brushed her hair out of her face, "What's wrong? Are you hurt? Was it the akuma? Did Ladybug's magic not work?"

She could tell him everything. She could tell him about Blackheart, _should_ tell him about Blackheart. Heck, at right that moment, she would be okay with telling him she was Ladybug if only he could help her _make it stop_.

But when she opened her mouth, all she could manage to force out in her weak voice was, "Help me."

* * *

Marinette woke in semi-darkness, a flickering overhead light making her wince. She groaned at the exhaustion deep in her bones, even as she noted that the headache was alleviated a little bit. There was a sharp intake of breath followed by the clattering of chairs and a stampede of feet just before three familiar voices called out in worry, "Marinette!"

She opened her eyes, surprised to see the people hovering over her, "Maman, Papa. . . Chat?"

She sat up quickly. Was she still asleep? What were her parents doing with Chat Noir?

"Oh, you had us so worried," her maman gripped her arms tight. "Chat Noir showed up in the bakery telling us you were in the hospital and I thought -"

She cut herself off, and Marinette was too confused to ask her to continue. "Hospital? What am I doing in a hospital?"

If Blackheart had attacked, she should be dead. Or waking up in her bed again.

"You passed out," Chat Noir offered quietly. "I wasn't sure what to do. You wouldn't wake up so I brought you here. I. . . may have panicked a little."

He smiled anxiously and Marinette felt herself blush in response. "Thank you. I'm not sure what happened, sorry for worrying you."

"The doctors think it might be exhaustion," her papa explained. "You had a dangerously high temperature, but it seemed to go down on its own as you slept. They can't really explain it, so they want to keep you under observation for the rest of the night."

 _Rest of the night?_ Her eyes found an old analog clock on the far wall. "Is that the time?"

"Hmm? Oh yes, that's right," her maman looked over her shoulder and confirmed.

Marinette felt a smile split her face, "It's eight-thirty!"

She knew she must have seemed crazy when she burst into giggles at the time, but she couldn't help it! She had slept through her allotted time for death! She could have broken the cycle by being lazy!

"Um, are you okay?" Chat asked cautiously.

Marinette bit on her lower lip to stop her laughter. If she was going to actually try to pursue something with him, she should try to not scare him away by acting like a crazy person.

"I - yeah! I've just had a lot on my mind and it turns out it was nothing."

She smiled at him and he grinned in response, one of his hands coming to grip one of hers. Marinette felt her heartbeat crank up and was glad that it wasn't like in the movies, and her heart monitor wasn't sounding off like a fire alarm.

"Thank you for helping me," Marinette said carefully, aware of her parents watching every single movement carefully. How was she supposed to flirt with her parents in the room?

"Of course, Princess," he smiled deviously, his hand turning in hers so he could bring it up towards himself. "I promised I'd be your knight, didn't I?"

He kissed the back of her hand reverently and Marinette felt herself turn to putty. Miraculously, she managed to keep herself upright, and even forgot that her parents were still there. Instead, she focused on the fact that Chat Noir hadn't removed his lips from her hand. He was looking at her, like he was waiting for something, and Marinette decided to throw caution to the wind. She had just gotten a new lease on life, after all.

She leaned forward and pressed her lips softly against the back of his gloved hand. He smiled against her skin just before he started purring. Marinette smiled in response, and then the door slammed open.

She pulled herself back so quickly, so desperate to get away, that she almost fell off the bed headfirst. It was only Chat Noir's grip on her hand that kept her from falling, and he pulled her back towards him, one arm wrapping around her protectively. The other came up to her head and stroked her hair comfortingly.

It took her a few moments to realize he wasn't trying to get her to safety. That there was no danger.

She looked over at the door to see three nurses standing awkwardly. _It must be a sight_ , she thought with a blush, offering them a nervous smile.

One of the nurses, a tall one with dark brown hair and even darker eyes that sort of reminded her of Alya when she smiled, finally spoke, "Your vitals were going crazy at the station, but I guess this explains why you were suddenly suffering from tachycardia."

Marinette squeaked as the other two nurses burst into laughter, and she even heard her _father_ giggle-snort. She wanted to bury herself under the covers, but Chat Noir still had an arm wrapped around her and she wasn't in any hurry to leave his embrace.

"Okay, that's enough teasing for now," Sabine smiled good-naturedly and made a shooing motion towards the nurses. "We can tease them tomorrow. Take good care of our _princess_ , okay, Chat Noir?"

Marinette felt betrayed by the teasing until she felt him kiss the top of her head, "I intend to."

Those sensors at the nursing station must have been off the charts right at that moment.

The nurses were still tittering with laughter as they made their way back out the door. She heard one of them stop suddenly, a sharp inhale cutting off her mirth as she reached the door.

"Forgive me, Monsieur," the nurse cleared her throat harshly. "Wound healing is in the west wing."

Marinette tried to peek around Chat Noir, but only heard a grunt as whoever was at the door continued down the hall.

"We'll be heading back home now," her maman sighed. "We missed our reservations, but luckily we managed to pull a few favors to get the pastries to the party."

 _Oh no!_

"The party! I forgot all about it!"

"Don't worry about it, it's just a party," Chat Noir soothed, rubbing her back.

Loathe as she was to leave her comfortable position, she pulled back from him in order to look him in the eye, "You don't understand. It's Adrien's first real birthday party and he wanted all his friends there!"

Her parents exchanged worried glances, and she wondered what it must seem like to them. It had only been a few hours ago that she was madly in love with Adrien for them, after all. Did she seem finicky and indecisive? And what must Chat Noir think, that her main concern upon waking in the hospital was going to a boy's party?

To her surprise, he smiled gently, "He'll understand, believe me."

Her parents breathed twin sighs of relief and then smiled as they said their farewells.

Once they were gone, Marinette wasn't sure what she was meant to do. Visiting hours were sure to be over soon, if her parents' departure was any indication, but she doubted anybody would try to kick Chat Noir out. What was she meant to do? If they just sat around and talked, did that count as a first date? Would it be too bold to invite him onto the bed? Would the nurses come to investigate every time her heart went into overdrive?

That last one might be a problem.

"I still think I should apologize," she mumbled eventually.

"Tell you what," his lips twitched with amusement. "I will _purr-sonally_ have a talk with him and make sure he understands."

She squinted at him, "You're not going to threaten him, are you?"

"What kind of cat do you think I am?" He gasped dramatically. "I would never tarnish this uniform that way."

"That's a costume, not a uniform."

"Same difference," he booped her nose. "Now just relax and focus on getting better."

She wrinkled her nose, "I'd still feel better if I could apologize."

Chat Noir sighed heavily, "Fine! Just wait until tomorrow! No buts," he held a hand up when she opened her mouth to argue. "You're not leaving this room tonight, so what does it matter if you talk to him tomorrow?"

"Fine," she agreed, scooting back so she sat against the pillows. Her face flushed as they once again descended into silence. They were usually very good at talking with each other. Whether talking about the deep stuff or just exchanging witticisms during an akuma attack. But now. . .

What was she supposed to say? _Hey, does the fact that you kissed my hand mean that you like me, despite the fact that you've done that dozens of times before?_

Or was she supposed to just come out and admit that she liked him? She couldn't do that! It had taken her three years to screw up the courage to commit to confessing to Adrien. And she'd only been able to do that by swearing a divine oath.

 _Oh no!_

"I have to call Adrien!"

Chat Noir frowned at her, "We just went over this."

"No, you don't understand," she gripped his arms in panic. "My life depends on it!"

"What does that -"

A crash interrupted his confusion. Chat Noir pulled away from her and made for the door, "I'm going to go see what that was."

"Wait! I -"

"It'll be fine," he smiled at her as he closed the door behind him. "I'll be right back."

Why did that feel so final? Why did it feel like she was still in a horror movie?

Lifting herself from the bed, she was grateful she didn't have anything attached to her veins. Though she did have a bandage on the inside of her elbow that indicated that she did at some point, she focused on pulling off the sensors taped to her chest and index finger. The floor was cold on her bare feet as she walked towards the door. Everything was calm as she opened it. Nobody was acting like they heard the equivalent of a car crashing through the walls a few seconds ago.

She took a deep breath and marched confidently towards the nurse's station. "Excuse me," she called the attention of the nearest one, the giggling one that almost collided with someone at her door. "Could I have my purse, please?"

"Oh, don't worry about that. Your mother took your belongings home."

Marinette felt ice run through her veins. Her mother took her purse home? Her mother took _Tikki_ home?

"Oh, tha - thanks," she stumbled backwards, making her way back to her room before she froze. There was something _wrong_ about the whole situation, despite everything being outwardly calm. The time that Blackheart usually attacked had already past, which meant she must have been unconscious for whatever wrongdoing she usually did. Except. . .

Except she had once spent the entire day in her room and still been attacked. So, being unconscious shouldn't have prevented it.

And even if the time had passed, maybe. . . maybe the akuma simply wanted her awake when it attacked. If she could do things differently, if Adrien could defy his father when he heard she was being attacked, if Chat Noir could stay by her bedside instead of returning to the Not Chat Noir Stuff he was always doing, then why couldn't the akuma change? Why did she believe it would always stick to a strict schedule?

Why hadn't Chat Noir come back?

She turned once again, walking with purpose down the hall, past the nurse's station, and around the corner. Then she broke into a light jog, following the signs through the twisting corridors towards the nearest elevator.

There was another crash, it sounded like it came from the hall she just left, and then the screaming started. Marinette stopped moving, trying to decide which way she should go. Without Tikki, she couldn't really help anyone, not against the akuma she knew would be waiting for her if she went back. But still, if it was truly getting more aggressive, if the pool of blood in that apartment hadn't been just her own, then she owed it to the people that were screaming bloody murder to go back and face it. Especially if 'screaming bloody murder' was more than just an expression.

Retracing her steps, she stopped by an emergency glass case and rammed her elbow against it. Carefully, she slipped the fire axe out. It wasn't much. After all this time, she wasn't even certain how much damage human weapons could do against akumas, but it could be a distraction at least. Those twin swords would probably cut it in half if she tried to parry any blows, though.

Decision made, she began her march back towards the disaster area and promptly collided against another body. She squeaked as she stumbled backwards. When she looked up, her arms held the axe defensively in front of her before she could fully comprehend who she was seeing.

"What are you doing here?" She demanded, her mind whirling. It was the man whose car had gotten rammed by the bike. She could remember him yelling at her, getting angry at her for watching, for thinking she was amused by his misfortune. People had been akumatized for less. But - but she had never seen him any of the times before, had she? She had never made him angry.

"I work here, I'm a doctor," he held his arms out, his voice soothing, a stark contrast to the last time he spoke to her. "Why don't you put that down?"

Oh, she was still holding the axe.

"There's an akuma here, we have to get out."

 _Oh, right._ The akuma was already active. It couldn't be him.

Marinette sighed in relief, and then promptly choked on her breath as blood splattered on her face.

The doctor opened his mouth to scream, but only a barely audible wheeze came out. Blackheart's blade made an unfortunately familiar squelching sound as it was pulled out from between his ribs. Marinette could see the giant creature before the doctor even hit the ground.

The axe in her hands seemed like a toy, suddenly.

She turned and ran. Instinct made her duck when she heard a whooshing noise, and the bloodied blade sank into the wall with a crack. Somehow managing to keep herself upright, she used the momentum to keep herself moving forward. She kept making random turns, not even sure where she was going. The elevator was out, as that would only serve to trap her. The stairs were also out, since the akuma could fly and would reach any level faster than her feet could take her. There was nothing for her to do except keep moving.

Marinette winced as the headache came back and her vision swam. The next time she heard the whooshing sound and she ducked, her legs gave out from under her and she landed chin first on the ground. The axe slipped from her grip and slid across the ground.

Scrambling to her knees, she dragged herself towards her fallen weapon, but knew it was pointless. As she heard the crackling of the plaster as Blackheart pulled its blade out, she knew she would be dead in seconds. If it didn't decide to play with her this time. Then again, letting her run around while she wasn't at her best might have been its version of playtime. There was no other reason why it shouldn't have caught her by now.

 _It's fine,_ she thought stubbornly, reaching for the axe just out of her grasp. _We'll get another try._

Closing her eyes, she lunged for the axe and then -

"Marinette!"

\- her heart stopped as she heard Chat Noir's voice just before the terrible, _horrible_ , familiar sound of Blackheart's blade tearing through flesh invaded her ears.

Her fingers spasmed around the handle and she forced herself to look back.

"No," she whimpered. She was right; the sight of Chat Noir impaled on one of Blackheart's swords was enough to make her heart give out. "I'm sorry."

Rising to her feet, she pulled the axe back and swung it with all her force towards the akuma. It was a fruitless hope, she knew, but was surprised when the blade imbedded itself into the akuma's neck.

Blackheart reared back and her grip on the handle disappeared. The akuma pulled the sword out of her partner and prepared to swing it again - she'd be okay with dying, if it meant restarting this terrible day - when Chat Noir extended his baton. It impacted the akuma in the gut, sending it flying down the hall and through a wall.

For a breathless moment, everything was still. And then Chat Noir's legs gave out from under him. Marinette wrapped her arms around him, but only managed to be pulled down to the ground with him.

If it wasn't for the fever! If she hadn't fainted when she approached him and been separated from Tikki. If she hadn't done whatever she did to Blackheart.

Sobs clogged her throat, and she placed her head against his shoulder, "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay," his hand landed on her head again.

"Why would you do that? Why would you -"

 _Die for her._

"You were going to die. I have absolutely no interest in existing in a world without you in it, Marinette."

The sobs that had gotten stuck in her throat finally bubbled out, and she turned her head into the crook of his neck. This was _not_ how she wanted to have this conversation!

"You have to go now, he'll be back," he told her quietly.

"No!"

It would be fine! Dying alongside him is what she deserved. And then she'd wake up and do it over again. She'd do it better. She'd take the time to investigate what had caused the akuma instead of just trying to face it after the fact.

"It's okay," he insisted. "Ladybug will be here soon and she'll fix everything. The suit will slow the bleeding in the meantime."

He was lying. She could feel his blood seeping onto her hospital shirt. Besides, "She won't be here soon. It'll take me too long to run back home and get Tikki to transform."

She felt his whole body stiffen against her, which she couldn't imagine was good for his wound. She didn't want to see the look of betrayal on his face when he realized he was going to die because she couldn't keep an eye on her kwami, but he grasped her arms and pushed her back.

His eyes ran over her face, surprised but not condemning. Then he smiled weakly, "It's okay. I have faith in you, I always have." Marinette felt herself be pulled towards him and she went willingly. She thought he might kiss her, but instead his lips landed on her forehead. "Go save the day, My Lady."

She whimpered at the back of her throat, but pulled away from him and stood. Forcing her legs to move, she walked in the opposite direction Blackheart had been thrown to. There was a staircase just around the next corner if the signs were to be believed.

Marinette made it around the corner, keeping Chat's figure in the corner of her eye, and came face to face with the akuma.

 _How_ could it move so fast? Could it phase through walls? Did it destroy them for nothing but its own enjoyment?

She took a step back, Blackheart's sword following the movement. It held the blade level with her chest, the silver color shiny in the fluorescent lighting.

"You should have kept your promise," Blackheart crooned as she took another step back and it followed.

"Wait!" Chat Noir cried as they came into his field of vision.

Marinette chanced a look over to him and felt the fight leave her at the trail of blood behind him as he literally dragged himself towards them.

"It's okay," she said, forgetting for a moment that she hadn't actually explained Blackheart's power to him. He didn't know she would wake up safe in her bed the next time she opened her eyes. It must sound like she was willing to die.

When she saw him force himself to his feet, she turned back to Blackheart and ran herself through on its sword.

* * *

 **A/N:** Once again, this got too long, so I couldn't include the next loop I had planned, but I think we're super close to the end. I think _a lot_ of hints got dropped this chapter, and I look forward to seeing what theories you guys come up with! XD

This chapter's title also comes from **Fire by BTS,** since it's technically a continuation of the last.

Please review and let me know what you liked, didn't like, and what could use improvement!

~ Destiny's Sweet Melody


	8. What's Wrong With Being Confident?

**A/N:** So, _ahem..._ I know it's been like seven months, but, this has been, without hyperbole, the worst year _of my life_. Even though writing is what brings me joy, I just genuinely had no energy/motivation to write. Especially since my job changed my schedule from weekends to five days a week, so updating on Wednesdays like usual was kind of out. I'll see if I change to Saturday/Sunday updates, or if I can squeeze some time each day in order to keep the schedule I liked best.

 _Anyway,_ I'm back! And intending to finish this fic! I feel like the long wait is going to render the rest of it disappointing, but I'm going to do it!

I'm breaking the tradition of responding to reviews this chapter, because I doubt you even remember what you wrote if you reviewed, but I loved every single one of them!

 **You were all so kind and understanding in your reviews, so thank you all!**

* * *

 **Escape The Day**

 **Ch. 8: What's Wrong With Being Confident?**

"How do you feel?" Tikki asked worriedly.

Marinette felt herself wince even as she answered, "A little better."

At the very least, she could see clearly and didn't feel like throwing up. When she got up from the bed, she only got a little dizzy. If anything, she felt like she had when she woke up in the hospital. Better than before, but with an ache deep inside and the knowledge that the mysterious fire in her soul would eventually come back.

She took a deep breath before looking at her kwami determinedly, "I'm going to need your help today. I'll try my best to figure out who Blackheart is, but if you can keep an eye out for anyone suspicious, that'd be a great help."

Tikki nodded, "Of course! I won't stand by and let you suffer."

Marinette half-smiled. She knew the kwami couldn't really help her stay alive outside of helping her transform. Tikki was much more serious about hiding from unwelcome eyes than any of the other kwami, to the point that she had already let Marinette die at the party once rather than reveal herself and let her transform. But Marinette didn't feel any bitterness because of it. She understood that Tikki only meant to be responsible, that the power of creation in the wrong hands was a terrible thing. Sometimes, Marinette thought the kwami had problems with anxiety just like she did.

"I know you'll try your best," she patted the kwami's head. "And I thank you for that."

Tikki frowned a bit at her wording, but had no choice but to bite her tongue when Marinette began making her way downstairs.

Things were going to be different, but there were _some_ things she had to anyways.

* * *

"Fashionably late as always," Alya smiled teasingly.

Marinette shrugged as uncaringly as she could manage. She knew that by the boxed cupcake in her hands and the braided updo she had taken the extra time to brush her hair into, Alya would assume it was all for Adrien. Well, the _cupcake_ was for Adrien, but nothing else was.

"Nice shirt," the redhead smiled impishly.

"I look good in red," Marinette blushed. _He likes me in red_ , she thought defensively. _Technically._

It was probably a waste of time, given everything that was happening to her, but on the upside, if she actually won this time, at least she would look good doing it!

"Yeah, you do," Alya agreed while chortling.

A familiar whizzing reached her ears and Marinette looked up in time to see Hoverboard Kid raise a fist up in greeting. She had very little time to consider her options. He was still one of her suspects, though she couldn't really think of any reason why he would want to attack her. Whether she responded to him or not, Blackheart still happened, so it if he _were_ the akuma, this would not be the moment that caused the akumatization.

And she couldn't for the life of her think of actually interacting with him before.

"Wait a moment," she told Alya before smiling determinedly.

She took off after Hoverboard Kid, gaining on him quickly despite her slow, unsteady gait. "Hey! Y-you!" She didn't know his name, was sure no one but the teachers knew his actual name, and she wasn't sure how well he would take his descriptive nickname. Imagine being best known for your material possessions instead of who you were as a person!

He looked over at her but kept moving steadily forward.

Marinette bit her lip, feeling once more like she was in a mine field. One wrong move, and she could be _causing_ her own doom!

"Um, having a nice day?"

He sighed, and for a moment she thought he might speak, but instead he nodded with an uninterested air.

Okay, that was useless. Wracking her brain for what to say, how to delicately inquire whether he was feeling murderous intent towards her, she came back to his greeting. Why? Why did he care to greet her when he never had before? Why did he greet her whether she was cheerful, fearful, or sickly?

Why did this day matter so much in so many different ways?

"Thanks for greeting me," she found herself saying. "I can't remember you ever greeting me before."

Hoverboard Kid came to a sudden stop. He blinked at her, before looking down bashfully.

"Thanks," he said simply. His voice was so small and quiet, weirdly high pitched, that for a moment she couldn't even register he had spoken. "You're nice."

And just like that, a memory slammed into her. A hazy recollection of just the day before, but also several lifetimes ago, of Tessie hurling insults at a closed door and Fleur dutifully laughing at each one. A small, high-pitched voice Marinette had assumed was a young girl cried out for them to stop from the other side of the door. She had charged at them with the same bullheaded, righteous fury she'd had when she charged at Adrien for the bubblegum debacle. She placed herself firmly between the two mean girls and the door and refused to budge until they left, displeased that their insults had no effect on her.

"Please, you have nothing on Chloé," she had rolled her eyes, knowing that mentioning the blonde would infuriate Tessie further.

When they left, she tried to get their target to come out, but they refused to unlock the door. They didn't even speak, until, disheartened but understanding, she promised she would leave so they could sneak out unseen.

Just as she turned to leave, they said, "Thanks. You're nice."

"Oh," Marinette's mouth dropped open as she stared at Hoverboard Kid.

 _Well,_ she thought. _At least we can take one name off the suspect list._

* * *

Marinette started her list once again, scratching out _Flower Shop Girl, Petitioner_ , and _Hoverboard Kid_ as quickly as she scribbled them.

She smiled gently at the last name, even as she remembered Alya's terrible teasing after she rejoined her best friend. It was nice to know that her impulses, like charging at teenage bullies with more bravado than brains, could have positive results.

Especially considering that she had the strong feeling that one of her impulses was responsible for her suffering.

Her impulses usually were.

She hoped her next impulse would work out just as well. It surprised Marinette that the idea of confessing to Chat Noir caused butterflies to flutter in her stomach in anticipation rather than fear. But maybe it shouldn't. She had sort of received a declaration from him already, technically.

 _I have absolutely no interest in existing in a world without you._

Heat invaded her cheeks and her smile grew even wider. That certainly seemed like more than just friendship. Marinette would happily die for her friends, but, cold as it sounded, she was capable of living on without them if she had to.

Except, it was easy to impale herself on Blackheart's blade because it felt like she had already died when Chat Noir was stabbed.

Tikki had pouted at that part of the story - especially since _this_ Tikki agreed that any death could be her last - but had only sighed and said she understood.

"It was almost inevitable," the good luck god begrudgingly admitted.

* * *

Marinette was grateful that she was too dizzy to do anything but focus on the akuma when Luminescence attacked. If she had been in complete control of her limbs, she might have wrapped Chat Noir in a hug the moment she saw him well and whole and _alive_.

Which would have complicated her intentions to confess to him as Marinette. Because as sure as she was about his new feelings for her civilian self, she had no doubts he would forget about them if Ladybug confessed first. Which would be good, because it was still her, but it wouldn't be _great_.

So, it was quite fortunate that her fever was back to full force as she stumbled her way out to the school's courtyard.

"Well, hello there, Princess!"

Marinette smiled at his cheerful voice and she didn't hesitate as she stepped up to him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. She felt him startle, the rest of his usual compliment lost in his surprise. "I can't believe you'd take a sword for me."

"Oh," she could hear the confusion color his voice, but his arms wrapped around her lower back. "Well, yeah, I would."

 _I know!_

She pulled back with a smile, her hands sliding up to cup his face, "Hey, could I kiss you right now?"

His face turned an impressive shade of red and he squeaked out a simple, "Yes."

A bubbling sort of warmth started in her stomach and seemed to sizzle throughout her skin as she cupped his cheek. It somehow seemed to overpower the feverish feeling from her soul as her lips touched his. For a moment, all her problems faded away. She forgot about Blackheart, and her multiple deaths, the fact that they were outside, and whatever was going on with her soul.

Because she was kissing Chat Noir, and he was kissing her back, and _purring_ , and she was in love.

 _Oh, that's it_ , she thought dazedly.

"I love you," she found herself mumbling against his lips.

He pulled back suddenly, blinking rapidly as if to shake off a daze, "What was that?"

Marinette blushed cherry red, and stammered, "Oh - that was just - I just - I have to go! Call me!"

She turned and ran back into the school, distantly aware of Alya's shout of "What the heck was that?"

The designer was used to being dizzy by now, but she was still completely incapable of avoiding the small huddle of bodies crowded at the entrance that had never been there before. Of course, she had never kissed Chat Noir in the light of day before, either.

"Seriously, Dupain-Cheng," Chloé's voice broke through her half-embarrassed half-euphoric haze as she shoved her away.

"Sorry," she offered weakly. She wasn't sorry, not one bit, not when she was dizzy because she had _sort of_ managed to confess to _a_ boy today. But she didn't need to be rude.

"Why do you always have to create such a fuss?" Tessie spat at her.

Marinette couldn't help but flinch at the venom in her tone, still a little sensitive from her astral time travel.

"You'd think you could have changed a bit after twelve years!"

The designer cocked her head, "Excuse me? Twelve years?"

Tessie pulled back, her anger being replaced with confusion for a second, before morphing to displeasure and finally rage, "Do you really not remember me?"

Marinette honestly didn't, but there was a voice in the back of her head telling her this moment was dangerous. Twelve years. Something she couldn't remember.

" _You should have kept your promise."_

"Um," she licked her suddenly dry lips. "No."

"You absolute a-"

Tessie had raised her arm as if to slap Marinette, only for Chloé to quickly grab onto it and dig her fingernails in, "I thought I told you, Dupain-Cheng is _mine_ to torment!"

"Wait." Marinette had watched them arguing nearly a dozen times now, but she had never bothered to learn what it was about. "Have you been arguing about me?"

Chloé scoffed and pushed Tessie's arm down, "Don't flatter yourself, we're arguing about turf."

Marinette frowned, and began stepping around them, "Gee, thanks."

She didn't get far before she felt hands grab her arms from behind. Marinette squeaked despite herself. "Wait!" Chat Noir's voice sounded pleading. "What did you say?"

The tips of her ears turned scarlet as she forced herself to turn to face him with a shy smile. She had already confessed. Sort of. Which was impressive since she had decided she loved him that same day, and it had taken her three years and counting to even seriously consider confessing to Adrien. _The worst is behind us, right?_

Technically, the worst was Tessie getting akumatized into Blackheart because she was territorial about who she got to torment. And because of something Marinette forgot.

" _You should have kept your promise."_

Marinette looked over at the brunette only to realize she had stomped off while Marinette ruminated over her romantic woes.

 _Not that woeful_ , she thought as she looked at the hopeful gaze Chat Noir was giving her. _Not this time._

"I said," she spoke slowly and clearly. "I love you."

The disbelieving look in his eyes was heartbreaking, but the slow, careful smile that quickly morphed into a full grin made her smile widely in return.

"What the heck is going on?" Chloé demanded.

"I have no idea," Alya answered.

Marinette didn't have eyes or ears for either of them. She could only focus on Chat Noir, at the way he licked his lips before speaking.

"I -"

Until a tall shadow appeared directly behind him.

Alya cried out in surprise. Chat Noir turned his head in her direction, but Marinette already knew he wouldn't even see his death coming. Not when Blackheart had already pulled out its sword. So Marinette did the only logical thing.

She pushed him out of the way and let Blackheart plunge his sword into her abdomen.

Alya screamed again, this time in pure terror. Marinette heard a roar, and only realized it was Chat Noir when Blackheart was thrown bodily across the courtyard. There was a crazed look in his eyes. She had seen that look before; during the few times that Ladybug was the one that put herself into harm's way and he thought the love of his life was gone forever. She knew what he was about to do, and he proved her right with a cry of "Cataclysm!"

 _No!_ He couldn't! If he destroyed the akuma before it reset the day, she would stay dead! Somehow still on her feet, Marinette managed to push herself forward until she collided into his side. She wrapped her arms around his waist, "Don't."

She didn't have the time or the energy to explain, but fortunately, he seemed to focus on her. His anger petered out, replaced by sadness as he wrapped one arm around her. The other, still with the cataclysm activated, was held carefully over his head.

"Marinette," he whined pitifully.

"I can - I can fix this." Blackheart had gotten her by surprise. This was the earliest it had ever attacked. And right after the latest it had ever attacked. Obviously, using the timeline to her advantage was out the window.

But she didn't need it anymore. Because she knew who it had to be. Even if it made little sense. But it _had_ to be. . !

* * *

"Today's the big - eek!"

Tikki had to dodge in a hurry as Marinette leapt out of bed with a roar of "Tessie!"

The kwami fluttered confusedly as her chosen marched down the steps of her loft with an unusual amount of energy for this early in the morning. She had been convinced she would have to tickle the teenager awake, party or no party. But no, there Marinette went with the same sort of bullheaded determination she usually only showed as Ladybug as she yanked her day clothes on.

"I figured it out, Tikki," her voice was a little manic. "And I'm not going to let her kill me this time!"

"Excuse me?"

"Look at my soul, Tikki," Marinette threw over her shoulder with an uncaring, almost tired tone. The kind of tone that one used when they had a conversation a thousand times and didn't want to keep having it. Which was peculiar, given that humans, even Ladybugs, didn't speak about souls all that often.

So, Tikki did, half expecting to find some sort of parasite that was driving her chosen into a tizzy.

Except. . .

"It _has_ to be Tessie that's killing me and bringing me back. Now all I have to do is stop her. Do you think we can _stop_ the akuma from getting to her? Or do we just watch her so we can take her down the moment she transforms? Or -"

"There's nothing wrong with your soul," Tikki interrupted the teenager's babbling.

Marinette finally turned to look at her, mouth open in surprise, "What?"

"There's nothing wrong with your soul. It looks exactly as it did yesterday."

"That's not possible," Marinette insisted. "You said it was on fire. I _felt_ like it -" she stopped mid-sentence, and placed the back of her hand against her forehead. Her eyelids fluttered rapidly. "I don't feel like I'm running a fever." She balanced on one foot, "And I'm not dizzy."

"Er, right," Tikki affirmed, unsure why she was listing her current physical state. "Are you okay?"

"Better than okay," Marinette smiled confidently. "I'm going to live."

* * *

Marinette walked up to the school with a bounce in her step and a bright smile on her face. Even her fever was gone and she took that as a sign that she was on the right track! Tikki didn't seem to agree with her theory, but Tikki didn't remember things like she did. The only difference between this loop and any other was that she was now sure that Tessie was Blackheart. The clues spoke for themselves.

Angry at Marinette? Check.

Has some mysterious past connection that Marinette can't remember? Check.

Is a big meanie that enjoys tormenting people? Triple check!

Her fight over 'turf' with Chloé could easily be the moment she was akumatized. Luminescence had just been taken care of so Hawk Moth could have still been watching over the area. He sensed her anger born of malicious possessiveness and boom! Blackheart! Who would be watching over Marinette for the rest of the day until the perfect time to strike.

"That doesn't explain the music box," Tikki had criticized her reasoning.

Which was fair, but Tessie seemed like the type of person that liked music boxes and dramatic flair. Besides, the music box didn't really seem to have a purpose besides adding to the general creepy ambiance. She hadn't even heard it the last time!

Obviously, she could ignore that little peculiarity.

"I just think you should think this through before you do something crazy," the kwami had insisted.

Which was fair, too. Marinette's first plan had been to knock Tessie out with chloroform during the lunch hour so she would hopefully escape Hawk Moth's notice. But Tikki pointed out that if she used the wrong amount of chloroform, she could seriously harm the brunette. And, as angry as Marinette was about the multiple death experiences, she wasn't _that_ angry yet.

So, she came up with Plan B.

"You sure seem happy," Alya smiled as Marinette met up with her at the entrance. "And you sure outdid yourself with the baking," she snorted as she saw the wrapped box in her hand as well as the delivery bag hung over her shoulder. "Way to a man's heart is his stomach, huh?"

Marinette blushed as she wondered at the truth of the phrase. Chat Noir was certainly fond of her parents' bakery, and she had shared cookies more than once during his balcony visits. She certainly couldn't imagine what else had attracted him to her.

"This one is for Adrien," she lifted the box for emphasis. The she gently tapped the bag with one hand, "This one is for somebody else."

Alya's mouth screwed up like she had chewed on a lemon, "I thought you wanted to make him feel special."

"Of course I do! It's his birthday!" Marinette insisted earnestly. Whatever suppressed feelings this day had stirred about, he was still her friend, and her first love besides. It was of the utmost importance that he feel special on his birthday! "But this is important. I'll explain it to you later."

* * *

Marinette entered the classroom just long enough to give Adrien his birthday cupcake, before walking out. She wasn't entirely sure which was Tessie's class, but it was easy enough to ask around and get an answer. She lingered at the door, classes already started by the time she arrived, until lunch break.

"Tessie!" She forced cheer into her voice as the brunette stepped out of her class. "Do you have a minute?"

Tessie stared at her as one might stare at some gunk found stuck onto their shoe, "Not for you."

Marinette squeaked as her future murderer walked away, slightly more annoyed than she had been before. "Wait!" She chased after her, "I just want to talk!"

"About what?"

 _"Do you really not remember me?"_

"I know you from somewhere, don't I?" Marinette started carefully, remembering how angry being forgotten had made Tessie the first time.

 _"You'd think you could have changed a bit after twelve years!"_

"From a very long time ago," she continued. She needed to be quick, Luminescence was still waiting to be created, Blackheart or no Blackheart, but she knew trying to rush through this conversation could be just as bad as the chloroform plan. "I wanted to say sorry for not recognizing you sooner."

"Sorry?" Tessie finally stopped and faced her, reproach sharp in her eyes. "You cost me all my friends!"

Well, that was unexpected, "I'm sorry, I can't recall what you're talking about." The same fury that had appeared in Tessie's eyes during the last loop appeared again, and Marinette was quick to pull the delivery bag open and offer the chocolate mousse cake tucked securely in a clear box to her. "But I wanted to apologize for it, anyway."

The brunette frowned, but her fury was replaced perplexion. Still, her words were harsh when she spoke, "Do you think someone with my figure eats chocolate?"

"Everyone's allowed a cheat day," the designer goaded, still holding the box out to be taken.

Tessie gave a long suffering sigh and rolled her eyes, but took the box. "Are you done?"

Not by a long shot, if her tone was any indication. Marinette really wouldn't be able to stop her argument with Chloé, as it seemed to start while Ladybug was busy fighting Luminescence, or too soon after for her interference to make much of a difference. But, if she was already seeing Marinette in a friendlier light, perhaps she wouldn't be akumatized by the argument.

Or maybe she'd focus her argument on another clueless schoolgirl.

 _Right_ , Marinette would have to keep an eye on her even if everything went well for her.

"If you don't mind me asking, what did you mean by I cost you all your friends?"

Tessie frowned, but looked abashed when she admitted, "You got our school shut down."

Marinette cocked her head, "Huh?"

She was almost certain she had never gotten a school shut down. She had switched schools halfway through the year when she was four, but it was just because her new école was closer to the bakery than the fancy one her maman had originally wanted her enrolled in.

"The bakery's getting really busy now and I don't have time to walk you there every day," her maman had tried to explain, but Marinette was too young to understand it was a good thing. That her parents were too busy meant that the business was doing really well and that meant good things for her, too. But she was a child and she was upset. She figured she must have had some friends there, too, even if the memories were so hazy she couldn't remember them.

But her old école had still been there when she left it.

"That's what mom says," Tessie continued despite her lack of response. "She said you made a fuss about nothing, and then your mother made such a fuss that there was no choice but to close the school. Then they sent me to _boarding school_."

 _There we go,_ Marinette thought victoriously. Tikki would have said Tessie was displacing her anger towards her parents onto Marinette. She was angry about being sent away, but couldn't go against her parents, so she blamed Marinette because of what she heard her mother say. For whatever reason she had said it.

Sabine Cheng was not a 'let me speak to the manager' type of person, and she wouldn't have gotten a school shut down.

"I'm sorry you were sent away," Marinette offered. "I hope we can get along better from now on."

Tessie scoffed again, but at least she didn't roll her eyes, "What do you want? A hug?"

"Actually," Marinette could feel a metaphorical light bulb turn on over her head. "Your phone number would be enough."

* * *

Luminescence was easy to deal with when Ladybug wasn't tripping over her feet. It was so easy that Marinette decided to take the long way to the courtyard to see if she _could_ intervene in Tessie and Chloé's argument, and was pleasantly surprised to find that the usual quartet wasn't facing off like usual.

 _Things are starting to change!_ She cheered internally and skipped out to the courtyard.

"Where have you been all day, girl?" Alya asked as a greeting.

"Seizing the day," Marinette grinned. "It feels like today is the start of the rest of my life."

"Is it a special occasion?" Chat Noir asked, a fond smile on his face.

Marinette felt her grin transform into something softer, "You could say that." She clasped her hands behind her back, so that she would not wrap her arms around his shoulders.

There was still the oath to contend with, which meant she still had to confess to Adrien. Even if she would have to change the wording to 'I _was_ in love with you for years and just wanted to let you know,' it would still be a mess if she confessed to Chat Noir now and then to Adrien in a few hours. Especially if _someone_ she knew that liked to document every possible moment put either of those moments online before she could explain everything to Chat Noir.

But she had taken a moment to plan for this, as well, "Could you come see me tonight? I have a party to get to, but maybe you can meet me afterwards."

She was sure she wasn't imagining the hint of a blush peeking out from under his mask. He nodded quickly, "Yes, of course!"

"Same place as always?" She couldn't resist throwing in a flirty wink, and had to stifle her laughter as he nodded even more quickly.

* * *

This was supposed to be the start of the rest of her life. Everything was supposed to be easy-peasy. And, okay, maybe she was tempting fate by going down the creepy alley, but she had been texting Tessie on and off since noon and she knew for a fact that she was very much not akumatized at the moment.

But that didn't stop the now familiar tune from the lonesome music box from spreading through the claustrophobic space.

Marinette felt her stomach twist in knots and her eyes burn. "That's not fair," she muttered as she sped up slightly, clutching Adrien's gift like a shield. "It was _Tessie_."

It _had_ to be her! It had to be! Because if it wasn't then Marinette hadn't changed anything. She had been walking on sunshine all day while her murderer had been watching. Probably amused that she was so happy when they were about to kill her.

The overwhelming feeling of ineptitude was so strong, that she didn't even startle when her phone belted out its usual call of _Fire!_

"Hey, Marinette!" Adrien's cheerful voice greeted her. "I was just wondering where you were. I thought you'd be at the party before I got here."

 _Nothing's changed._

She wanted to throw up. She wanted to cry. She wanted to scream at the universe for its injustice. She wanted to claw Hawk Moth's stupid mask off for creating the akuma in the first place.

"Marinette?" Concern tinged his voice when she failed to respond.

But what could she say? A nearly silent thump sounded behind her and she inhaled deeply, doing her best to not let herself panic.

"I'm sorry you have to hear this," she said before spinning on her heel and throwing the phone at the center of Blackheart's forehead. She quickly spun once again, this time towards the hotel, running as quickly as she could. She wouldn't quietly accept her death this time. She was going to make it to that hotel and find a place to transform. She was going to fight.

 _I'm going to live_ , she insisted stubbornly.

She stepped out of the alleyway and straight into Blackheart.

"How - ?" The rest of her question - how did they get in front of her? - caught in her throat as its sword impaled itself into her abdomen.

 _It's not Tessie,_ she thought dazedly.

Marinette could hear shouting and suddenly realized they were in front of the Grand Hotel Paris. Kim must have just been arriving, he must be calling for help. Everyone was going to watch her die again. She didn't want that.

"You should have kept your promise," Blackheart's distorted voice taunted her.

"What - what promise?" She could feel herself slipping away. The strength had left her legs long ago, she was only standing because the akuma was still holding her like a shish kebab. But if she could hold on long enough to get a clue as to _why_ they were doing this, then maybe she would get it right next time. Provided there was a next time.

"You promised me. . . you. . . you promised."

"What?" she demanded as angrily as she could when black spots were dancing in her vision. " _What_ did I promise?"

There was an uproar behind Blackheart and she knew that her friends had reached the ground floor and were watching her die. It had all been for nothing and now she was back to square one. Tessie was the last of the obvious suspects, and she had no idea what angle to investigate now. Not when Blackheart couldn't even give her a straight answer about what they were angry about.

"I hate you," she ground out as the fight left her completely. Right before the darkness claimed her, she could have sworn she heard a shout of, "Plagg, claws out!"

* * *

 **A/N:** I was worried this chapter would be short compared to the others but then it got so away from me that I had to cut it in half. Hopefully, that means my muse is back and I can actually _finish_ this fic!

A lot happened in this chapter, including two of the obvious suspects being revealed as red herrings. I honestly had no idea what I was doing with Hoverboard Kid when I started this fic, but Tessie was always going to be **a mysterious link to Marinette's past** so shame on me for waiting 40k+ words to bring her more into the story.

And once again, the explanation for the whole soul fire thing gets pushed back because the loop got too long, but next chapter _for sure!_ Although the answer is technically in this chapter, Marinette just doesn't realize it.

The chapter's title is from **Confident by Demi Lovato** which plays in the movie during the campy murder montage.

Please review and let me know what you liked, didn't like, and what could use improvement!

~ Destiny's Sweet Melody


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